All we can do is pray.&uot; That’s how 10-year-old Brianna Grayson knows she can contribute to her father’s safety in Iraq, where Londell Grayson has been since shortly after Christmas.

For Brianna and other children, wives, mothers, brothers and other family members, these are the long months of waiting. Members of the National Guard’s 155th Infantry have been in Iraq since January, and they have been away from home longer than that, training at Camp Shelby near Hattiesburg and other places.

Most of us cannot imagine such separation from our loved ones, not to mention with the added stress of the dangerous situation those loved ones are in. For some of the families, this is not unfamiliar territory &045; their loved ones have served in previous wars. But for some, this is a first-time separation. Either way, it is very difficult.

We often talk of the great courage and sacrifice it takes for soldiers to go to war, but it also takes great courage and sacrifice for those who are left at home.

The wives and husbands who miss the partnership of their spouses and the children who miss their mommies and daddies need the support of the community.

We’re grateful that the VFW auxiliary hosted a party for the children of the 155th Saturday. Many of us with neighbors or friends who have loved ones overseas can help, too, whether it’s offering to babysit or offering an ear to listen.

Our prayers are with our soldiers overseas, but they are with their brave families, too.