Here we are in September, back in the swing of things, more or less, settling into some routines. Did you have a good Labor Day weekend? It went by fast, didn't it?

Most of the spare time in my household lately revolves around Sept. 22. That is the date that my oldest daughter, Lindsay, gets married in St. Anthony Park, Minn., a suburb of the Twin Cities. She's marrying a nice young man, and the wedding will be a small affair, held outdoors (weather permitting) with a reception and dinner to follow.

Lindsay was home this past weekend and informed me of a tradition that she would like to follow: a father-daughter dance. I've never been a good dancer, considered myself a pretty weak one, but I can manage this. Then she dropped the other shoe -- I needed to choose a song for us to dance to.

Faster than Hansen's "Mmm-Bop" can crawl inside your head and drive you slowly insane, I began thinking about a song. It had to say the right things, plus be something you could dance to. For the mother-son dance, my future son-in-law, Thomas, and his mother, Mona, are using "What a Wonderful World" by Lois Armstrong. Classic.

What one song could say what I feel about my first-born daughter? What would capture, without being too hokey, my feelings about the way her birth changed my life? Tough.

In my efforts to untie this Gordian knot, I turned to the oracle of all things: the Internet and the great Google. It turns out there are a lot of songs that are suggested for a father-daughter dance.

Here are a few:

In the top spot is Bob Carlisle's "Butterfly Kisses." Nice song, beautiful sentiment, totally wrong.

How about Celine Dion's "Because You Loved Me?" Nice song, I always thought it was more of a husband-wife type of love song, but it could work, in a pinch. Not right for me, though.

Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" came to mind. The album version clocks in at over six minutes, complete with a crying baby at the start. Nah..

The Beatles, perhaps. "In My Life" has always been a favorite, but it doesn't quite say what I want. "She's Leaving Home" Are you kidding me? "She's leaving home after living alone for so many years. Bye, bye." I don't think so.

"To Sir With Love" by Lulu. What am I, Sidney Poitier? "The Way You Look Tonight" by Frank Sinatra. I prefer the Fred Astaire version, but again, not the type of sentiment a father should express to a daughter.

If you want to go for the tear factor, "Sunrise, Sunset" from "Fiddler on the Roof" wins, hands down. Gets the message and feelings across, along with a nice shot of guilt. Nope, not for me.

"Forever Young" by Rod Stewart. Closer, but not quite right.

I know what you're thinking. Picky, picky, picky. Choose one of these fine classics and be done with it, already. Well, I've made it through nearly all of this without having a Spencer Tracy or Steve Martin "Father of the Bride" moment, so I think getting the song right is the least I can do.

I looked at more lists, stumbled on some James Taylor songs. Always been a fan, he has a way of saying things in music that I wish I could express in words. Yes, JT it would be. Now to find a song that said the right thing that could be danced to. "How Sweet it Is" or "You've Got a Friend," perhaps "Your Smiling Face." There's a good song called "Believe it or Not" on "Dad Loves His Work" that says pretty much what I want to say, but it's not danceable. Then it hit me: "Shower The People," it says what needs to be said without the awkwardness, and it has a nice beat. Done.

Good thing the tux is already selected...

As always, I welcome your comments. You can reach me by email at tstangl@lemarscomm.net, telephone 712-546-7031, x40 or toll free 1-800-728-0066 x40.

Thanks for reading, I'll keep in touch. Feel free to do the same.