First full day of spring meant it was Mom’s birthday

/ March 21, 2015

In our house when I was a kid, March 21 was the first day of spring. None of this starting the season to savor the coming of the great warm to come around dinner time on the 20th like people talk about now.

Nope.

March 21st meant it was spring. And Dolores’ birthday.

Mom and me.

Mom and me.

My mother the youngster, in years when I was a kid — 19 when she pushed me out into the world — and at heart always, loved it when it was her birthday. That translated to everybody’s birthday, actually. She dug the occasion.

So I remember myself and my little sisters Frannie and Dory singing the song and watching her blow out the candles when we were young, right up to the year I went away to college when I was 17.

After that, Frank and Dolores divorced. She married a guy named Lucky who was wasn’t, and they moved to Florida. They got divorced, and she moved back to Long Island and married her childhood sweetheart, Walter.

By that time, I was an adult living in the Syracuse area. She was thrilled when we brought her granddaughter Elisabeth down there or when they came upstate.

Happy birthday, Dolores.

Happy birthday, Dolores.

March 21 was her birthday, right up the year we lost her of a heart attack one June at the age of 65. It would have been a nice round one for you today, Mom, 77. I know you would have been No. 1 at the party table. Happy Birthday.

Was your mother big on her birthday when you were young, and is she still if you’re lucky enough to still have her? Which parent celebrated your birthday bigger, your mother or father? Did anybody in your family have a birthday that fell on an occasion shared by another event, and if so, who and what?

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73 thoughts on “First full day of spring meant it was Mom’s birthday”

  1. Mark, You and your sisters know my Mom very well from childhood and we are blessed to still have her around. She will be 85 on October 30th.

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    • Hi Kevin! Your mom was a big part of my childhood. Happy day, Mrs. C! You kids (we’re all still kids when we talk to each other, right?) are lucky to have her in your lives, my friend. Have a good day as we head into spring.

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  3. My mom is 65 right now, and I can’t imagine losing her. She’s always there to celebrate each year when we meet up for family February birthdays. Nice tribute to your Mom, Mark.

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  4. Happy Birthday Mark’s Momma! My parents weren’t big on celebrating their birthdays. We had a big party for dad’s 65th and he was gone 2 weeks later. Mom “let’s us” celebrate hers but she isn’t a big celebrater either. Though she appreciates the sentiments and attentions and gifts. 🙂

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  7. This was such a pretty picture of your mother, Mark! Happy birthday to a real angel of a woman, who may be celebrating always. Your wriggling makes me smile, while your mother’s hat makes her look so stylish and kind, too. Hugs to your Mom. xo

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  8. aw, what a sweet tribute to dolores, and i’m happy that life finally worked out for her, but sorry she had to leave so early. my mother hated her birthday, but my father loved to celebrate to the hilt.

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    • That’s interesting, Beth. Your mom was very complicated, as I recall. She had an artistic temperament, didn’t she? You seem to have gotten her artistic creativeness, and your dad’s more earthy demeanor. Hooray for us, your friends.

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  10. Happy Birthday to your Mom, Mark. Those are great pics of your Mom and, of course a bit younger you. Ha! I’m sure she is still with you on your heart.

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  12. Hey Mark – let’s all do the shimmy for your mom’s b-day ( and thx to your other comment that led me to this fun risqué dance – lol)

    and the only thing that comes to my mind right now was all the stress and chaos that unfold when we tried to have a 70th b-day party for my mom= tried to throw a surprise bash but one busy body aunt (her sister) ruined it all by doing too much and stressing people out – ended up doing a small back yard cookout (in west seneca) and all was perfect – and mom confessed she did not want a big bash – but sometimes they do not get to pick. anyhow, maybe one day we can have a bash – or not.

    and I like how you wrote this
    “a guy named Lucky who was wasn’t,” ha

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    • Too bad your Aunt put too much, shall we call it zeal, into that one, Y. Out of love, right? 😮 It came out right for your mom anyway in West Seneca. I hope someday you can have that bash for her. Or not, as you say. Only if you all want it.

      Thanks for liking my carefully chosen passage, my friend.

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      • yeah, and my aunt means well – but she kinda ends up stirring up things here and there – and in this case she did mean well – but in hindsight I think it was also a case of too many hands in the pot – my eldest bro (the one in west seneca) was planning, I was, a cousin was trying to get on board and then the aunt started sharing what she thought was going on – so maybe less about her and more about the communicating….

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      • Yeah, that too-many-cooks thing became a famous saying for a reason, I guess, Y.

        Do you ever come through Syracuse when you come back to these parts of our world? I’d love for us to get together now that we’re friends here.

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      • wel thanks for the offer – and actually yes, i am planning on it – because I have a friend that moved from RVA to that area – well I formerly taught her students art and we became friends right as she was moving – and we get together whenever she comes here – and so I am hoping to stop off and see her on our next Buffalo trip…. and mark – maybe we could meet up at a wegmans and enjoy a nice lunch there… mmmm

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  13. Very nice tribute, Mark … I’m always struck by the difference in our parents’ ages … My parents could have been your grandparents. I gave to do some math right now, but if they were alive today, they’d be 104 and 100! I was lucky enough to have them until they both reached 90, and we were able to patch up a lot of differences toward the end.

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    • I was the oldest, and they were kids when they had me. You weren’t, and they weren’t. Life hands people such vastly different circumstances. I’m glad you had many more years to communicate with your folks after you got smart enough for it to make a difference.

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  14. Your mom is beautiful, Mark! I’m sorry for your loss ❤ My parents aren't especially into their birthdays, at least with us kids, but my grandmother, Lillian, loves them. She's inching toward 100 and I hope to have half of her energy as my life parallels hers. Happy spring!

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  16. Lovely picture of your mom. She looks happy! From both photos, I’m guessing your eyes are like hers. My son-in-law’s birthday is Dec. 23, and his daughter (my granddaughter) was born on his birthday, so both of them get skipped over for birthday celebrations because of Christmas. My nephew was born on July 4th and when my friend heard the news, she said, “I bet he was a big pop!” My brother and a niece both have birthdays on the same day . . . the day 9 1 1 happened . . . too sad.

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  19. Your mom was beautiful Mark and I can so tell that little boy is you!

    My mom’s birthday is on Dec 22 and she has always felt it was lost to Christmas. She will be 77 this year. Both our moms were born in ’38!

    My birthday is the one that falls on an event in our family. Yup, I’m a Valentine’s baby! ❤
    Diana xo

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  22. It’s still her birthday because she’ll always be with you. I’m sorry about your loss. Lovely tribute to her. 🙂
    We always had cake, gifts, and some parties for all our birthdays and usually my parents went out on their birthdays so I imagine the biggest celebrations, my brother and I were home in bed for. 😉

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    • Yes, it’s still her birthday, Donna, and I’m glad I remembered it! Your parents were good to go out and have some private time, leaving you and your brother to fend for yourself and use your imaginations. 😉

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      • Luckily my brother was very responsible and only let me use a small portion of my imagination so there would be a house standing when my parents returned. And we got pizza when they went out which was a huge treat. 🙂
        See you tomorrow for #SundayBlogShare – should be hopping. 😉

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