A Girl Like Me

A Girl Like Me
Across the ocean and the great sea,
Is a little girl who’s just like me.
She’s honest and kind, fearless and bold,
Her skin’s glowing and her heart is gold.
She’s joy-filled and she laughs easily;
She loves to play and be with family.
She’s humble and sweet, and, like me, seven.
And we have the same Father in heaven.
She prays and sings; Jesus makes her smile.
And sometimes, just for a little while
I think we are sisters, close as can be
Because she is a girl who’s just like me.

I was born in a small-town hospital nestled in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado
in the United States of America. Just after my birth, people came to the hospital
to visit my mommy, my daddy and me. They brought flowers and small stuffed
animals to congratulate my parents and celebrate me. My parents named me
Rachel, which means little lamb. Mommy says that most of our ancestors were
from England and Ireland, who traveled to the United States many, many
years ago on big ships from Europe. As I grew, I learned to speak English.
I was born in my parents’ house in a small village in Liberia, West Africa.
After my birth, women who helped my mummy with my delivery burst out
of our house dancing. They surrounded my daddy, singing and throwing rice
into the air with joy. As a proud father, my daddy named me Luah, which
means blessing. My parents are from the Lorma Tribe, so I learned to speak
the Lorma tribal language. We also speak English as our second language.

I live in a house with my daddy, mommy and my two sisters. This is my family. I also
have grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who are part of my extended family.

My house has a kitchen, a living room, three bedrooms and two bathrooms. I share
a bedroom with Hope, my little sister. Attached to our house is a garage where we
keep our cars. We have a big yard with green grass, many trees, and a fun tree
swing. My sisters and I love playing with our friendly, black-and-white dog.

I live with my parents, four sisters and three brothers in a large room, which is
part of a six-room house we share with other relatives. My parents, siblings and
extended relatives make up my family. Our way of living is known as a communal.

Our home is built from soil, clay and sticks. We have a separate kitchen,
located at the back of the house, and the toilet and bathroom are a few
yards away. Houses in our community are close together. Because there
are so many people and homes, we have no space for a playground.