A Young Girl, Part Two

http://compassionatewitness.blogspot.com/2010/02/young-girl.html

As some of you may recall in an older blog, I wrote about a girl I
met in town. Since I wrote that post I have seen her many times.
She always shakes my hand and follows me around for awhile.
Sometimes I even follow her around for awhile while she completes her
errands. I found out she is 13 years old and still going to school.
I have met her father who works at a small used clothing stand on a
corner and have seen her working at her mothers vegetable stand. In
short, we are friends.

Today I saw her again and she gave me a drawing. It is written
mostly in French and I have no idea what it says...it may even be an
invitation to something...but I thought it was very sweet and I
especially liked how she wrote my name, Monissica. I should change
my name.

It is a small gesture, for sure, but I have to say the little drawing
was exactly the thing I needed. I can officially say at least one
person in Madagascar things I am neat. Hopefully as my language
skills grow I can have more meaningful conversations with her and
maybe even start encouraging her about her school work. As it stands I
simply ask her what she learned about on any given day and I get a one
word answer.

One day we walked around all the used clothing stands together and
made fun of the ugly clothes like teenagers in the mall.

This girl is pretty special. In the entire city she is the only young
person to approach me and introduce herself. I would think that might
be kind of scary--myself being an old white lady and all.

Another way to look at this is that it is a way to love my niece
Ashley, who is a similar age, from across the world. Because in my
mind every teenage girl needs love and guidance from older women no
matter who she is or where she lives. Maybe I will show her pictures
of Ashley and talk about all the great things Ashley is doing to
inspire her. Spread some international teenage girl power while I am
at it.