Quiet holidays are okay, too

It was a very different Christmas this year. Lynne, Pete and I spent Christmas Eve and over half of Christmas Day at her sister Kathy's house in the northern suburbs.

There was no massive tearing apart of gifts. Instead, at the suggestion of sister Shari, we went outside, sitting and standing around an excellent fire ... as a heavy snowstorm swirled around us.

It was surreal in a way -- having quiet, adult-like conversations outside at 7 p.m. In another way, however, it was wonderfully peaceful and pleasant. The drinks flowed as freely as desired. Kathy is an amazingly good chef who concocted a meal the likes of which I could only imagine seeing at the Ritz in New York City.

There we sat for hours discussing serious (and not so serious) topics and laughing over past foibles.

We went to bed when we wanted to and got up when we were awake. There was some terrific coffee and, later, a stupendous breakfast consisting of an egg dish, hungarian bacon and half a Cinnabon and more conversation.

In reflecting upon the 24 hours, it was probably the quietest Christmas holiday I have ever experienced.

It was also one of the best ever - adults enjoying each other's company and conversation. It seemed exactly the tonic all of us after a hectic (and, at times, traumatic) year. As a kid, I would never have imagined spending such a day. As an adult, I cherished every moment of it.

So my hope for you this holiday season is you find whatever it is you think you need the most of. The holiday we spent isn't for everybody. But it fit our needs perfectly ... even if most of us didn't know it in advance.

Next year at this time, I may find myself on a beach in the Bahamas, a casino in Las Vegas or perhaps in front of that fire again at Kathy's house. I won't know that for some time.

Christmas 2009 was a reminder that it is a holiday where one must end up with something that makes you happy. When I was 10, that would have been a baseball glove or maybe a train set. At 56, it was simply being with people I love and cherish dearly. All in all, it was one of the better Christmas gifts I have ever received.