Say a little prayer for

This is a pretty pathetic confession, but it's probably true for a lot of people.

I've never really given much thought to the boys, girls, women and men that fight for our country.

I have an uncle and two grandfathers that went to war. My dad, my brother, my husband have never had to go. Until earlier this year I was never close to someone while they went off to war. I wrote letters around the holidays when the radio djs prompted, but I never really thought about the person that would be on the receiving end.

My friend and neighbor Starla has a nephew, Mason that came to live with her a few years ago. Mason was 18 when I met him and such a sweet but misguided and irresponsible boy. We (by we I mean my friends in the 'hood) all liked Mason, but he did dumb things now and again that would get him in trouble.

Mason worked for his uncle Jimmy to get a paycheck, but he didn't love the work and there wasn't much that tied him down other than a car payment. Out of the blue (at least to me) Mason announced he had joined the Army in 2008. He wanted to be a Ranger. A week before Braylen was born he went off to boot camp. His training went well, he excelled. He learned to throw grenades, jump from helicopters and plenty of other skills that will be useful to him now.

We didn't see Mason much after he left for boot camp, but we all wrote letters. I should have written more. In February Mason left for Afghanistan. He wouldn't talk about what he would be doing because he didn't want to scare his cousins. His basic job description - when I pressed - was breaking down doors.

I have cried for Mason and his family several times since he left. It's tough to believe that he is there and remember what he is doing. I'm scared for him and his family. The only thing that protects him is God and a gun. I pray for Mason often and it's usually that God agrees with me that Mason should come home healthy and unscathed by the horrors he is seeing and doing while he is so far from us.

I learned today that he has his second concussion since he got there - wherever there is. His vehicle drove over a roadside bomb and he was knocked around pretty good. I think that's where the concussion came from but the details are sketchy. Other than a never ending headache he is doing ok as far as I know. Ok can mean many different things.

If you are reading this please pray for all the soldiers that are so far from home. Mason doesn't have a wife or kids to worry about, but he has a Mom, Aunt, Grandma and lots of friends waiting for his return.

We pray often that his mind and body will come home without too many scars.