My blog posts on Dad-O-matic have sparked a running joke where some readers compare them to interviews by Barbara Walters because they both tend to make people cry. I take it as a compliment of course. I enjoy sharing some amazing songs with intensely emotional meaning such as my pieces for “You’re Gonna Miss This” or “Then They Do” by Trace Atkins.

Well, here’s a new one that’s guarantied to get you misty-eyed. It’s called “It Won’t Be Like This for Long” by Darius Rucker, formerly from Hootie and the Blowfish. It’s a beautiful song with an important message similar to the other tunes I’ve shared before, all about the importance of enjoying and appreciating our precious time with our kids and families. Yes, even the tough times as the song describes so well from the start when newborns cry and cry all night and you can’t sleep. Pretty soon all parents learn that each phase passes rather quickly, perhaps too quickly and we wind up missing those things we couldn’t wait to end.

On a personal note, I know I miss those late night bottle feedings and diaper changes at 3 AM. I still have a soft spot in my heart whenever I see or hear anything to do with Nick at Night because I used to watch it while I fed one of my babies in the rocking chair. The other day I saw one of the drop clothes I used to use during those feedings and I had to fight hard not to cry. I really do miss so many of those times even though I did my best not to miss out on any of them. Even then I reminded myself that I would miss losing out on sleep for one of my angels but I still long for those days. I would give anything to do it all over again. After all, when we are old and gray we won’t remember how much sleep we got but all of those precious memories we made.

Note: I want to thank Stephen “Steak” Shapiro from 790 the Zone for introducing me to this song. He was talking about it this morning during my drive to work so I had to check it out and sure enough it was as good as he claimed. I know it’s funny because here’s a big city sports talk show host sharing how emotional he gets listening to a song on the air. I think real men don’t have a problem with showing their emotions, especially when it comes to their family.

Lyrics to Darius Rucker’s new song
It Won’t Be Like This For Long

He didnt have to wake up
He’d been up all nite
Lay’n there in bed listen’n
To his new born baby cry
He makes a pot of coffee
He splashes water on his face
His wife gives him a kiss and says
It gonna be OK

It wont be like this for long
One day soon we’ll look back laugh’n
At the week we brought her home
This phase is gonna fly by
So baby just hold on
It wont be like this for long

Four years later bout four thirty
She’s crawling in there bed
And when he drops her off at preschool
She’s clinging to his leg
The teacher peels her off of him
He says what can I do
She says now dont you worry
This will only last a week or two

It wont be like this for long
One day soon we’ll drop her off
And she wont even know your gone
This phase is gonna fly by
If you can just hold on
It wont be like this for long

One day soon she’ll be a teenager
And at times you’ll think she hates him
Then he’ll walk her down the isle
And he’ll raise her vale
But right now she up and cry’n
And the truth is that he dont mind
As he kisses her good night
And she says her prayers
He lays down there beside her
Till her eyes are finally closed
And just watch’n her it breaks his heart
Cause he already knows
It wont be like this for long
One day soon that little girl is gonna be
All grown up and gone
Yeah this phase is gonna fly by
He’s try’n to hold on
It wont be like this for long
It wont be like this for long