I get asked a lot "How do you cope with your son being deployed to Iraq?" There is no easy answer for this except to say its hard and when he is over there, my life is changed completely.

I do not watch the news or read the newspaper if I can avoid doing either. This is at my sons own request. He says the media is way off-base with what limited info they actually know and what they actually report.

I busy myself sending care packages to him and his platoon. I also have adopted another platoon so this takes up a lot of my time.

I live for his phone calls which are rare because he also has a wife and baby to call and check on first. The phone lines are often lengthy and sometimes he is just to exhausted to handle the wait.

Probably the worst thing is hearing a car in the driveway. I become gripped with fear that this is the "official visit" which will bring news of death.

My son has been blessed so far and had little energy other then an eye mishap as he was lightly grazed by an IED.

I cannot tell you how many Military funerals I have been to for soldiers in my local area. I just pray every day that my family will not have to endure that pain, loss, and suffering. My heart goes out to each and every family who has gone through it.