My heart goes out to you Rosemary regarding your son. May Mother give you the strenght and know for certain She is with him in Afganistan.
We all are struggling in our own world with accepting the world as it is, finding a balance and yet becoming spiritual in a search for the truth. Mother in Her Grace provides this courtyard that we can gather together, unburden our load at Her feet, gather strenght and continue in our own world.
I often like to remind myself that what I have gained from the courtyard has not come from anyone other than the Mother Herself. Know She is ever present here.