The morning after

The holiday here went well. No one got hurt and we didn't have to take a dog to the vet for eating anything glittery. One of our fish died Christmas Eve, but this only brought a few flushed faces and no crisis.

It was nice to be home for the day and not dead tired. The Christmas paper deadline was 8 p.m. Saturday -- three-and-a-half hours early -- so I got home to put the girls to bed. Both made sure they had a glass of milk and cookies for Santa and, of course, carrots for the reindeer.

As we adults put the last of the presents under the tree, I had my yearly feeling of guilt about having so much materially to give. We're not gluttons on this, but, with us and my folks, the kids get tons of stuff. This year was better overall -- less stuff but still lots of love.

The Christmas holiday is a tough balancing act around here. You see, the holiday is about the birth of Jesus Christ the savior. Well, Jayne is Christian and I'm not, so we try to give the kids a politic answer to their question about the holiday. I tell them we're marking the birth of Jesus, but that we're really celebrating family, togetherness and, most importantly, peace. It's like Halloween -- I don't believe spirits walk the earth on Oct. 31, but it's still fun for people. I won't deny my children the pleasure of trick-or-treating nor the happiness of opening gifts on Dec. 25.

I'm glad we can do this for the holiday. I know if conservatives of the George Bush ilk (or the many people around Holland who work to convert me on a daily basis) had their way, I would be forced to accept Jesus as the only divine manifestation and write off the billions of souls who do not. I can't do that. So, I'd be excluded from the holiday completely.

Thought: All you need is love.