In March, there were three birthdays in our house

/ March 9, 2014
The crew on Fran's wedding day, April 11, 1998.

The crew on Fran’s wedding day, April 11, 1998.

My older younger sister celebrates an almost-milestone birthday today.

Happy birthday, Frannie!

Her big day used to start a parade of cake and candles when we were growing up.

Father Frank was born on March 13; mom Dolores on March 21. Youngest sibling Dory (September) and oldest sibling me got to sing and eat.

That was some decade of Bialczak March Madness, from 1967 to 1977, the years between Dory’s birth and my moving away for good, when I started my junior year of college in Maryland.

Frank and Dolores got divorced shortly after I left.

Birthdays were celebrated with phone calls and cards on my part.

The five of us came together on a Bialczak birthday was in April of 1998. My sister Fran chose my daughter Elisabeth’s birthday to marry her longtime boyfriend Jack.

The big party was in Fran and Jack’s lovely backyard on Long Island, behind the house in which they still live.

Fortunately, somebody told the five Bialczaks to stand together for the photograph above.

It was the last day the five of us were ever together. Frank and Dolores both passed away in 2003.

But on Frannie and Jack’s wedding day, the five Bialczaks were content.

I called Frannie on Friday to deliver early wishes. I told her that this picture would be up for the world to see today, her almost-milestone birthday. She liked the idea. She said she likes my blog. Happy birthday, dear sister.

The photograph is back inside its frame, sitting on the bookshelf in our living room, so I can gaze and remember what was.

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34 thoughts on “In March, there were three birthdays in our house”

  1. what a priceless and wonderful picture of all of you, this is, mark. happy birthday to frannie and, as I’m sure you know, you have quite a fantastic brother. )

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  8. You really clean up good Mark. I kinda have you beat in the birthday department though. Daughter Gina is March 7, older son Don is Feb. 22, youngest son Mike is Feb. 29. All within 5 years. Got away with one party for all 3 until they started to school and discovered the other kids all had their own party. At least they let me know before getting off the bus with all the kids in the class in tow.

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  11. This was a special post filled with memories, Mark. I really like the emotions I feel gazing at the photograph. The way you wrote this, simply put, was beautiful! I enjoyed knowing more about your family. Sorry about the divorce of your parents and also, their deaths. It seems they were close enough in hearts, to be connected in the year of their death. This was a family tribute and glad you are content and celebratory during this moment in time.

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  16. Whoa. Our parents have the same names! My mom is Dolores and my dad’s name is Frank. How funny. If you hadn’t included their birthdays I would have wondered if we were related! Happy birthday to your sis!

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      • When I first moved to Sacramento there was a business called Frank and Dolores Accordion and Dance Studio the building was painted 1950’s pink. Before I was able to return with my camera the place was sold. Now it’s a tattoo shop. Re painted black of course.

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      • Wow! My dad is Frank the 3rd in the family tree and my mom spells her name the way the Catholic church does as she was named after the saint, Our Lady of Sorrows. Is your mom Mexican too?

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      • My father was a junior, not a third. His real name was Francis, but he refused to go by that. His father also only answered to Frank. My mom was not Mexican, but I’m definitely Catholic from both sides of the family, Sandra!

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