I am that Girl

I was the girl in elementary and middle school that couldn’t sleepover at a friend’s house because to my parents it was not normal. I was that girl that couldn’t date in high school. I was that girl that went home and spoke in Arabic instead of English.

I am that girl that goes home some weekends and has to ask permission from her parents to hang out with friends. I am that girl that still has to be home at a particular random time. I am that girl that still can’t date. I am a woman who at 22 years old still has to answer to my mom or dad. I am that girl that is okay with that. I am the girl that voluntarily goes to church. I am the girl that sometimes loves to sleep rather than attend church.

I am that girl who has a brother who loves her so much he reads everything she writes and is so supportive of her dreams – no matter how crazy they can get. I am that girl with a brother who may or may not make it past thirty years old. I am that girl that has sisters who love to visit at school. I am that girl that is lucky enough to have sisters that unconditionally loves her. I am that girl whose parents call to tell her she is loved and missed. I am that girl who does not necessary care that people find my closeness with my parents a little odd.

I am that girl who has a tiny group of friends who regularly hang out.

I am that girl who is always surprised that her friends are not sick of yet. I am that friend that would do anything for strangers. I am that girl who is a rock and has a great shoulder for people to cry on. Wink, wink from that girl.

I am that girl that reads any time. I am that girl that carries books everywhere. I am that girl that loves to write. I am that girl that loves to binge watch shows on Netflix. I am that girl that cries during sad parts of anything – books, movies, articles, posts, and so forth.

Considering I am the girl, who is many things I am also a scared girl. I am scared that now that hatred is welcomed in this country I am no longer safe. I am scared I am the girl who one day might be assaulted for Middle Eastern. I am that girl who listens and observes the hatred towards the people of the middle east. I am scared because I am the girl whose brother is a darker skin color and one day might be attacked just for that reason alone. I am also afraid that my brother will not receive the help he might need for the bare reason that he is disabled and can not physically work.

I am the girl that’s afraid companies might not want to hire because she is a woman and one day might get pregnant, and that is a nuisance to companies.

I am the girl who feels her country might not care.

I am also the girl that knows that not everyone shares the same views as I. I know as a girl in America that is of Egyptian descent might not think like the friend who does not see and feel like I do. That is okay.

As a girl in America, I am free to be friends with people who do not view the world the same way I do. I am that girl that I must also think of everyone in this country. I am that girl who must fight alongside the minority. I am that girl that believes in equal rights.

I am that girl that loves everyone and knows everyone should be heard.