This column was originally published in the St. Louis Post Dispatch on Thursday, Dec. 13 2007:

On Nov. 30, the European Space Agency reported that Santa Claus was in the
Orion nebula.

Santa's silhouette, anyway; the ESA spotted a huge cloud of high-temperature
gas with a "surrounding pattern of absorbing clouds [that] gives the detected
gas its Santa Claus shape, with his prominent hat outlined by the northern gas
bubble." The website www.PhysOrg.com provides photos of the formation.

Orion's spectacular display comes as countless children pose the question, "Is
Santa real?" For our daughters' queries, I've relied on my mother's words:
"Santa is love." As a second-grade teacher and mother of six, she wove the
underlying spirit of her response into relevant curriculum concepts.

For example, in science lessons she explained that even the most talented heart
surgeon holds only the tissue in his hands. She asked her class, "Does the
doctor see love, goodness, trust and happiness as he operates on the human
heart?" "No," replied the class. "Do you know love, goodness, trust and
happiness in your life — the most dynamic functions of the human heart?" The
answer was an emphatic "Yes!"

Mom shared with her family and students her rich perspective on life: There is
more than meets the eye. Although my husband and I never were completely
comfortable with misleading our daughters, we welcomed Santa into our home
because we want them to share this perspective, too.

Life is enriched through acts of love and generosity, and it truly isn't so
much the gift but the spirit in which it is given that counts.

As we approach the winter solstice, many of the world's religions are
celebrating festivals of light, family and community. On December 22, our
hemisphere will begin tilting toward the sun; by Christmas Day, summer will be
on the way.

Children who've grown up with the Santa story in their homes eventually learn
the truth, and it's best to let them discover it on their own, according to
Carl Anderson, assistant adjunct professor of educational psychology at the
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In his psychology dissertation on how children react to the discovery that
Santa isn't real, he wrote, "They related deciding to no longer believe, or
knowing the truth, as an indication that they were growing up, and they had a
certain degree of pride in the fact that they were on the side of those who
knew the truth."

Although a mythical figure, Santa takes these children on perhaps their first
quest to find light in the darkness. Last year, I applied Anderson's advice to
my youngest daughter's quest. After I evaded the question several times, the
6-year-old cornered me one evening at the kitchen counter. Staring straight
into my eyes she asked: "Mom, is Santa real? Do you believe in Santa?"

I took a deep breath and searched for the words my mother told me. "Well,
Katie, Santa is love. He is not only in the packages that you unwrap, but in
the greatest gift we give: the gift of ourselves to each other."

I chose my words carefully, too slowly for my eager child. Impatient, she
interrupted me and said, "Well, I believe in him." She stared one second
longer, emphasizing her point. I smiled, gazed back and conceded, "I believe in
him, too." She hopped down and ran from the room.

Like Katie, we'll have moments in life when we have to answer the question, "do
you believe?" Like the gas clouds in Orion, your answer will depend on how you
look at it.

Maria Rodgers O'Rourke of Creve Coeur has worked in the advertising and
not-for-profit fields and now juggles marriage, raising two daughters and
creative pursuits that include music, theater and writing.