When I present the students at my school with a heart and ask them to identify the shape they without hesitation respond “LOVE.’  To them before the shape in front of them represents a heart it represents love.  Hearts have been closely associated with the concept of love since, well as long as I can remember.

During my time in Lesotho love has taken on a different shape.  Love is a rectangle, a cube, a square.  More specifically… love is a: box, an envelope, a parcel, a screen.  Living 8000 miles from friends and family love takes on different shapes, the screen of a phone on which my nieces are pictured, a box full of treats that make me cry and smile, a padded envelope with valentines candy inside, a book of sermons that comes just at the right time, gifts for my Basotho family and friends, too many peanut butter m&ms and smashed pop tarts..

My two years abroad have been littered by love in all shapes and sizes. Packages, cards, notes, emails, messages, likes and prayers.  I have been loved well.  Mail has been slow, calls have been dropped, internet has stalled and still love shows itself at just the right times in just the right shape. I have been loved well.

Cheers to you, the letter writers, package senders, email messengers, and prayer warrior, thank you for your love.  You have loved me well.  You have shown me the many shapes of love.  This two years is just as much yours as mine.

Much Love,

Bren