Hello Everyone!  Welcome to another year of the Romeo Family Christmas Party!  I'm Selena, part of the Orlando Family.  I feel honored to be giving the speech this year before we do our blessing.  Many who have given it before me have had so many wonderful messages of warmth, wisdom and memories from the beginning of our family, and while I can't offer the memories from what have been, I can offer a message of today and what is to come.  A message of hope and strength and love as an up-and-coming generation and hopefully make them proud.

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To quote the words of Mr. Rogers:

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"Each generation, in its turn, is a link between all that has gone before and all that comes after.  That is true genetically, and it is equally true in the transmission and evolution of each of our identities.  Our parents gave us what they were able to give, and we took what we could of it and made it part of ourselves to our children and their offspring."

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In the time I've had to prepare to speak in front of you all today, my family and I were fortunate enough to move into a new home.  As I unpacked I came across a family tree from our 2016 Christmas Party and being sentimental (or wanting to procrastinate unpacking) I took a moment and flipped through it.  I wanted to see the difference between our family then and our family now.  The longer I looked, the more I saw how much our family has grown and how blessed we are to have the gift of life, family and new generations growing among us.  To see what we've become since Dominic and Catherine came over to the United States and the generations that have come and gone since is a gift most profound.  Profound because it shows resilience of times past and times to come, it shows determination of each individual and what we are capable of separately and as a family, and it shows that with the love of our family near or far, we can accomplish and do "all things through Christ who gives us strength".

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This time of year, it is most important to gather and celebrate as we prepare for the holiday season, and birth of our Savior.  Many, especially in today's day, are sadly without any family or friends.  Some without a home, food, or the simple luxury of the comfort of their loved ones to surround them.  Today, all of us in this room are among the most fortunate because we have the luxury of the ones we love right here with us.   We have the luxury to know that as time changes and goes on, we have the love and support of family in times of joy and in times of tribulation, through all walks of life.  Today we see those we have not seen in a long time or even those we see every day, and it somehow becomes so much more special.  We see new couples getting married and joining our family, we see children born and growing, we see our youth coming into their own and forging their own paths and families, we see good health and happiness.  In the small moments shared with one another, we remember all those who have left us and are now in the arms of our Heavenly Father.  We especially remember and thank the heads of the family (Uncle Joe, Aunt Pauline, Aunt Sadie, Aunt Lucy, Uncle Tut, Uncle Frank and Uncle Dom) for the gift of generations brought forth from them and that we are all blessed to be together today as a result.  From this gift, we are gathered to celebrate our heritage that reminds us why we talk loudly and with our hands, no one is alone, that our love of each and every person in this room will carry us through the many years ahead, and most of all, we are thankful that there is such a thing as the Romeo Family.  Buon Natale!!