Sunday, May 10, 2009
She remains a powerful, positive, guiding force in my life to this very day and every day, though she has been gone now for 21 years.
Her spirit and incredible sense of humor are with me when craziness erupts in this wild world, which is pretty much every few minutes.
Whatever the case, she’s right there with me. That’s what mothers do.
This is just one way of saying that every day should be Mother’s Day.
Growing up in those magical post-World War II glory days, I was just plain lucky to have a functioning, orderly and, most importantly, loving household.
Dad worked hard and constantly. So did Mom, though as the quintessential stay-at-home mom.
Her ever-upbeat nature was the perfect counterpoint to Dad’s militant discipline. Talk about yin and yang.
Our home was always spic and span, and each night we all sat down to a terrific home-cooked meal. Because of her inspiration, all us kids have learned to celebrate the fine art of cooking. Is there anything more important?
My mother’s sense of humor was off the charts. When she and her sister Nancy got together with their guitars, all bets were off. Every family gathering turned into a laugh-infested hootenanny.
When I passionately began to pursue what others considered a not-so-welcomed life of rock ’n’ roll, it was my mother, Marion Dorothy Nugent, who pushed and encouraged me to put my heart and soul into it.
She attended many band rehearsals and nearly all of our performances. She genuinely loved the energy of the music and became the community mother for many aspiring new bands.
Now I celebrate Mother’s Day with twice the enthusiasm, for my amazing wife Shemane has performed Mother of the Year duties with our son Rocco in much the same way my mother did with me.
My wife’s motherly love is manifest in its result. Rocco has grown up into a fine young man.
Oh, yeah: And, man, can she cook.
As Rocco now pursues his gung-ho American dream, his sense of belonging, family and undying support from his family prods him to be the best that he can be, to conduct himself like a gentleman and always do the right thing.
So-called “peer pressure” hasn’t got a chance with our son.
His mother doesn’t smother him, but almost. Shemane literally lives to mother her son.
So here’s to the great mothers in my life, my mom, Shemane, sister Kathy and my two daughters, Sasha and Starr, as they raise wonderful families of their own in the great Nugent tradition.
I sent them all flowers and tsunamis of love, but when it comes right down to it, we all owe them all the love we can muster each and every day of our lives.
God bless all the mothers out there, and Happy Mother’s Day every day.
Ted Nugent is a Waco-based musician and television show host. Contact him directly at tednugent.com.
