Sunday, May 29

Festival for the (Whole) Family

It may be Memorial Day in the USA, but today at the local Catholic school here in Rome, and across much of Italy, was the day that families gathered to celebrate with games and food the Fesitval of Hypocr  errr...Nuclear Families in the spirit of togetherness, tolerance, and clearly other widely-held Christian values.  It was the Festa di Famiglia - which, by most Western standards would include those couples who are most likely hiding their affairs from each other, who are 'separati in casa' (in-home separation) and lead double lives in order to keep up appearances, and of course, that rarist of species, the fully healthy family with parents that not only still talk to each other, but actually love one another, and their kids, and the kids love them back as well -- A citing so rare indeed, it was last seen in the 1970s in a species that entomologists coined, The Brady Bunch Genus.  I once read that Brady Bunch families according to one study were estimated at 5% of American families.
So, to partake in the festivities, I'll throw my own celebration to include single-parent households, gay families, the divorced and separated parents and their offspring as well.  Just think what a huge party that would be!  Of course, the Church probably thinks (with no irony whatsoever), that it would probably devolve into a wild Bacchanalia, the likes of which have only been seen in various seminaries and Evangelists' hotel rooms far and wide.
My guest speaker?  Zach Wahls, Engineering student raised by two women.  
Oh so, let's raise a toast and...God Bless Modern Families.

4 comments:

cuzliz said...

Don't forget, the Brady Bunch kids were step-brothers/-sisters; nobody knows how the remaining mom and dad met or what happened to their original spouses. They were the original family mash-up, and just never talked about it, even if it was the "get in touch with your feelings" '70s.:-)

Irreverent Italy said...

...and, according to recent comments from Bill Maher in light of the Shwarznegger scandal, Mike Brady actually was doing Alice.

mmtmrb said...

Great video, what happened with the vote in Iowa? Also funny comment on your blog re bike helmets!!

Irreverent Italy said...

A lot of people have been asking me about how this one ended. Here's the poop:

1) Constitutional Amendment likely dead -- SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: The House approved a resolution intended to force a statewide vote on same-sex marriage, but the issue stalled in the Senate, where Majority Leader Gronstal said he won’t allow discrimination to be written into the Iowa Constitution.

And...in an incredible upset! -- A strange law ended up allowing them to pass GAY MARRIAGES! To read how they got there go here --

http://www.DesMoinesRegister.com/article/20110508/OPINION01/105080310/How-1994-casino-tax-law-gave-Iowa-gay-marriages
2)