Hallelujah

In the soundtrack of my life, there is one song that stands out as the accompaniment to its most dramatic moment.

Late one wintry February night, I waited outside Watertown International Airport for my beloved. He was flying home from Iraq, after his chain of command wisely and compassionately determined that his health issues needed to be addressed immediately.

The immediately part - well, that just didn't happen - but Steve did make it home.

The name, Watertown International Airport, is rather misleading as there are very few flights going in or out, and none of them having international destinations. The airport is so small, in fact, that the terminal was closed at 10 pm. My son and I sat in the car, listening to the radio and watching the runway lights flicker on.

The moment that the tiny commuter jet's wheels hit the runway, the incomparable kd lang's voice filled up the car, and my heart, as she belted out her cover of Hallelujah. It was perfect.

And on this, my husband's last day in uniform, I defer to the amazing Katherine Dawn of Consort, Alberta, to express my overwhelming emotion at the end of this chapter of our lives.