Sow There!

My sister called and said that my niece's husband Eric had been reassigned from Germany to Alabama. For months we had held our breath. There's a tightness one feels when someone you love is in the military.
When he enlisted I just kept quiet because there was nothing I could say or do to undo it. This was right before we were going into the war in Iraq.
I understood his reasons for enlisting. He wanted to provide for my niece and the military offered him more pay and opportunities than his job at the local nursery.
They had just gotten married and wanted to have a kid.
On Christmas, three years ago, my niece put an armband on my wrist, a purple armband she bought that said "for those who serve."
I told her I didn’t like to talk about the war, but she said I should wear it for Eric. I've kept this thing on even though it totally clashes with my fashion choices. It's become sort of a superstition for me, as if .... if I took it off he might be called up for active duty some place dangerous.
At first the talk was about Afghanistan. Then it seemed more likely he would go to Iraq.
I had a tan mark on my arm in summer from wearing this purple arm band.
Sigh.
Exhale.
We got a call this week that the family will soon be moving to Alabama.
Exhale.
Apparently he got accepted to be a warrant officer and will train to be an officer, and most importantly, in the United States.
I was so happy I cried. I can't even imagine how happy my niece must feel.