I'm not gonna lie - I liked the "sheen" and production of the Nashville version. There were bits that seemed a better match in the Nashville version, like the climb into the first chorus.
Plus, louder is always better, right?
But... your vocals sold the song to me in a way the demo didn't, pulling harder on the heartstrings. And that's the most important part, because (to me) the really good songs evoke a strong emotional response.
There may be any number of reasons Reba passed on the song, but listening to both versions, I think lyrically the song tips a bit more to the male perspective. From the start:
the day you came into this world
was the proudest of my lifeseems a bit more like something a guy would say. "Proud" isn't a word I've heard a mom use to describe childbirth.
Similarly,
i prayed to god to help me
teach you wrong from rightsounds (to me) like a dad sort of thing.
The POV just seemed a better fit with a male singer.
Then again, I'm from California, so what do I know about traditional values?
Love the story, excellent song. Thanks for posting this!