The haunted song of fatherhood

Thanks to a highly depressing commercial during last night's Superbowl (I do not refer to the one about dead children, which must bear the palm away as the single worst commercial in Superbowl - nay, TV - history, taking first place from 1964's "Daisy"), I was reminded of a song that must haunt fathers everywhere.  Certainly it haunts me.  It is a song of a man's failure to connect with his son and the price he pays later in life.  I refer to Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle":

My child arrived just the other day,

He came to the world in the usual way.

But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay.

He learned to walk while I was away. 

And he was talking 'fore I knew it, and as he grew,

He'd say, "I'm gonna be like you, dad.

You know I'm gonna be like you."

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,

Little boy blue and the man in the moon.

"When you coming home, dad?" "I don't know when,

But we'll get together then.

You know we'll have a good time then."

....

I've long since retired and my son's moved away.

I called him up just the other day.

I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind."

He said, "I'd love to, dad, if I could find the time.

You see, my new job's a hassle, and the kid's got the flu,

But it's sure nice talking to you, dad.

It's been sure nice talking to you."

And as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me,

He'd grown up just like me.

My boy was just like me.

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,

Little boy blue and the man in the moon.

"When you coming home, son?" "I don't know when,

But we'll get together then, dad.

You know we'll have a good time then."

I think that we all understand that a parent must often decide between his job - paying the bills - and spending time with his kids.  I think we all understand that parents sometimes need time away from the kids ("Man, I absolutely CANNOT stand one more minute of 'Barney'!!!!").  That being said, what parent wants to even THINK that he's so absent, so distant, that he's ruining his kids?

As a warning, the song is a masterpiece, though one that I can take only in very small doses.