Wedding Day – 117 C Street S.E.

Last night we celebrated our parents, Frank and Norma Boling’s, 70th Wedding Anniversary and all family that possibly could meet up did so at their home of nearly 60 years. You see, my parents were 17 and 18 when they eloped to Ellicott City, MD, and were married by a justice of the peace. There was not any formal celebration because at that time, my mother’s family didn’t really like my dad. Mostly, I think, because they thought he was Italian??? Go figure, the ethnicity stigmas of those days that unfortunately still exist in our culture today! Well, here we are 70 years later, three children, nine grand children, 10 great grandchildren, and 4 great-great grandchildren with yet another on the way! For the most part Frank and Norma grew up together had many happy years and memories; and according to mom yesterday, some were not so happy as others, but they were just part of everyone’s life’s path and commitment to each other.

These days both are frail and suffer the all too common disease among our elderly today–Alzheimer’s. Yesterday, both of them barely showed their emotions, but it was a day where family supported and comforted each other and celebrated times together of the past and the day. Thank you to all who sent cards and messages with wishes of love and good times for the future. We, the Boling-Ford-Dickinson-Family hope you and yours have a wonderful February filled with love for each other and an especially great Valentine’s Day! (In the picture to the right, you can see that dad is still recovering from a tough fall that he took in the hallway on January 10th.–Mom is 88, dad turned 87 on December 7th. So fortunate to still have them with us.)