The best gift sometimes fits on a sheet of paper
(updated July 2026)
As the holidays approach, guides to discover the perfect gift are everywhere. It should be original, useful, personal, possibly ecological, and if possible available with free delivery before Tuesday.
But what is a gift really for?
It is first and foremost to please someone and to show them that you have thought of them. The object is just one means among others to convey this attention. It sometimes fulfills its function as soon as it is given, even if it ends up in a box, a flea market, or a bin a few years later.
The gift I was thinking of when writing this article requires almost no materials. All you need is a pen and a sheet of paper.
It is a letter.
Not a card with three words quickly written before leaving for the meal. A real letter in which you explain to a person what they represent to us, what they have brought us, and why we are happy that they exist in our lives.
It seems simple, but it is not necessarily easy. Buying an object sometimes helps avoid searching for the words. You know the budget, you find something that is more or less to the person's tastes, you wrap it up, and the job is done.
Writing a letter requires something else. You have to stop for a few minutes, reflect on what you have lived with this person, and accept writing things you rarely say out loud.
Therefore, it cannot be offered to just anyone. But ultimately, what is the purpose of giving a gift to someone who doesn't really matter to us?
I don't think a letter should replace all objects. Some gifts are useful, funny, or perfectly chosen. But when you don't know what to buy for a person who already has enough things, adding a new object to the pile might not be the best answer.
A letter takes up almost no space. It doesn't cost much money and will probably never be replaced by a more recent model.
You just have to find the words. Which is often the most expensive part.