This is one of the decisions that Rae and I have made together that draws curiosity from almost anyone that finds out that we taught "Satan's Clau" only as a nice story and not truth. I say "finds out" because we believe it is not profitable to offer such information to the casual aquaintance.

Many strangers in stores have asked my kids "What is Santy gonna bring you this year little girl?" Most folks who inquire about it quickly point out how we have cheated our Children of the "Magic and wonder" of Christmas. Some when they have the chance to think about it say "I never thought of it that way". Or "I didn't know you could do that" Exactly. When you do think for a moment it makes perfect sense to share a story and it's origins rather than take advantage of the precious trust that our children have in us. Of course we don't spend energy judging those who don't do as we do. Just understand that we did the trust work up front and if you teach Santa as truth you will be doing it after the fact. In my own life I saw it as a breach in trust with my parents that could have been avoided. And yes, the easter bunny, tooth fairy and any other boogie man stuff is also absent in our family except for careful explanations of the stories and origins. We still have fun with it, but the hiding, truth stretching and it's effects are absent.

The truth sometimes has a cost.

When I was in first grade, in 1963, I was in the wicked Mrs. Nelson's class at California Elementary School in Costa Mesa, CA. She once grabbed me by the hair on top my head with both hands and shook me forward and backward maybe ten times. She was mad. I don't remember what I did to set her off, but even at that age, I knew it wasn't that bad what I did.

Anyway, that was Mrs. Nelson. And at Christmastime, Mrs. Nelson was going to walk the whole class over to an assembly in the auditorium to see Santa Claus, and being the smart little, ADHD, 6-year-old, know-it-all that I was, I offered the information I had been taught for all in line to hear. "There's no Santa Claus, really. It's just a pretend story. Christmas is really about Jesus, but some people don't like to tell their children about Jesus."

Don't get me wrong, I was no Bible Thumper. I was just raised with an accurate reference to the origins of the Christmas celebration, all the while enjoying the less religious trimmings as well. We got to sit on Santa's lap at Christmas in the mall and tell him what we wanted--but we knew it was pretend. It was just for fun. We always knew the presents were from Mom and Dad, aunts and uncles.

And that's what I said, "Santa is just for fun. We can pretend he's real, but he really isn't." Some of the kids did not appreciate the information that they would someday come to understand as I did. They argued using the lie their parents felt justified in telling them: 'Santa is too real!"

"No he's not."

Mrs. Nelson told me to be quiet. But I didn't. In fact, I don't think I could. I knew the truth. The kids kept going on "Santa is real, you'll see."

I disobeyed. "Santa is pretend. Really!"

Mrs. Nelson pulled me out of line and sat me on the floor next to her desk at the back of the class. 'You stay right here with your feet and your hands against the wall until I return."

She dropped the kids off at the Assembly, then came back to the room and sat at her desk doing who-knows-what. Every once in a while she would bark at me to put my hands flat against the wall and "don't bend your legs."

I learned early on that some aspects of the truth make some people very mad. [Presentation notwithstanding] But I never doubted the truth.

I just never trusted Mrs. Nelson.

She was a mean liar.

That is reprehensible, David! I would have been down at that school in a New York minute! What a traumatic experience for a six year-old boy.

You are absolutely correct- she was a mean liar and hope that someone somewhere showed some kindness to her.