It’s the time of the year for office parties and potlucks. I’m in charge of potlucks at work.

Once the sign-up sheet goes up the drama begins. I get a budget of $25 to spend on food for 30 people.

I wanted to use the funds to buy the main dish, but the senior staff says that people should bring main dishes.

I think that if you’re asking people for the favor of bringing food, chips and pop is perfect because it’s inexpensive, but they expect people to bring meaty main dishes so I change the sign-up sheet to chips and pop provided.

Now there is buzz at work about what to bring. People with special diets complain that past potlucks have been all meat when they are vegetarian. In my head I wonder why they don’t bring carrot sticks so they can eat, and share with their co-workers.

Next the cooking oriented people start talking about what to bring. A little competition begins. You’re bringing pot roast? Well, I’m bringing prime rib. Then people think about salads, and others say salads aren’t enough, or they don’t have time to cook.

Thankfully many grocery stores in Bellevue are open 24/7 so you can shop when it is convenient.

By this time I have potluck trauma. This is supposed to about fellowship, not food wars!

When the day arrives I am always surprised by the generosity of people. The outcome reminds me of an old story of a boy who wanted to share two pieces of bread and some fish with a large crowd. There was no way that would feed everyone, but because of his willingness to share, others caught on to the spirit of giving.

For me, potlucks are a chance to break bread with your fellow coworkers and relate to them in a new vein, one where you can learn different things about the person you work with, a chance for fellowship and connection.

Sometimes potlucks feel divisive, but I hope they bring people together. No matter if you bring pop or pot roast, it’s a chance to build a stronger team and community. Happy Holidays!

Marnie DelCarmen lives in Bellevue.