December 4th, 2001

What is family? Around the holidays we often go return to our own families to celebrate, reflect, and rekindle ties. With Christmas tradition we also go back by honoring the Holy family: Jesus, Mary and Joseph. When separation, distance, or even worse, conflict and alienation occur, we either choose to be alone or look to an alternative family, our friends, to be with during the holiday season. Whether you are close with your own family, or separated, the real meaning of family always links to the heart.

“Families of the Heart” was the telling theme of the SJA Annual GLBT Potluck Holiday Party held last Sunday, December 4th in Hospitality hall. Ron Joki and Theresa Healy facilitated this meaningful GLBT group gettogether with touching flair; they linked the many definitions of what we call family back to the spiritual, the holy family. Healy opened the evening saying "families of the heart are blessings for us in this life and blessings are treasured gifts that we both give and receive." Then Joki gave a spiritual blessing with an opening prayer and Maria Karpinski led a sing-a-long to the familiar carol "Do You Hear What I Hear?" The committee members than passed out Blessing Boxes to some 35 people in attendance.

Healy created these lovely boxes and spoke about the symbolism of the box itself. "I intended to create a gift to each of you that ties the blessings in our lives to each other and to the Holy Family, the first family of the heart. When you look at the box, the shape may be different from the other boxes passed out. That represents the unique differences that make up who we are."

She went on to comment about the color of the boxes. "Gold represents one of the gifts that the Wise Men brought to honor Jesus' birth. The glitter on the cover symbolizes the stars in the sky on the night Jesus was born. The (jeweled) heart of the cover represents the families of the heart. The interconnectedness that binds all of us together.” The lyrics ‘Do you know, do you see, do you hear?’ indeed beautifully reflect the meaning behind the different shapes of these boxes.

The other GLBT committee members spoke about the contents of the box: a rainbow colored AIDS ribbon, a special message, a gold colored ring, a tiny toy dove, and a small stone. Sue Anderson elaborated about a typed message on a note that provided a different blessing to all of the recipients. Jay spoke on the importance of friendship represented by the gold ring; Theresa explained the meaning behind the dove, a symbol of peace for all of us. A passage from "The Diary of Anne Frank" with its words of hope and conviction was read. Ron concluded by touching on the meaning behind the stone and how it connects us to the earth.

Everyone then broke out into discussion groups to contemplate what other items we might personally add to our own box. Partners Maria and Donna concluded the program by

Michael Reinbold is a professional photographer and banquet caterer with an extensive theatre background in acting, writing, and directing. He loves all aspects of the arts, staying fit, and helping and inspiring people. A passionate believer in St. Joan of Arc's mission of social justice, Michael is a continuing AIDS Ride participant, Grace House volunteer cook, mass reader, and Joan of Arc choir member. He looks forward to web reporting and photographing for the website.

singing in harmony an acappella version of "I'll Be Home For Christmas." Then on the command of the words "let's eat," a scrumptious turkey and mashed potatoes with gravy catered by Cathy Meyer's TLC led the way for the feast amongst the many treats brought by everyone. A drawing from the basket that contained the names of all who attended was done by Joel, Mark, and Sue. Hilarious gag gifts awaited the lucky winners.