The Perfect Picture

She is what people would consider "Perfect".

She is beautiful - but not in an ordinary, girl-next-door way. She is exotic and original. Many artists and photographers have stopped her, commenting on the exceptional beauty of her sculptural physique. She is elegant, sophisticated and poised. Her long, lean lines and petite frame lend themselves easily to the art of ballet where her movements are precise and expressive.

Dance is one of her many passions. She is also passionate about art, music, photography, fashion and especially, her kitty, Tiara.

A natural brainiac, she graduated from Wellesley College with a double degree in English and Art History. Her super-smartness has led her to a super-successful career in pharmaceutical sales where she is consistently among the top sales people.

Aside from academia and career, she is always the life at a party. Guys and gals alike want to be in her company - and to be seen with her. She has a flirty personality that is charming and captivating and an impeccable sense of style that turns heads.

She is a delightful blend of intelligence and ditz, coolness and geekiness, gracefulness and klutziness. She's immaculately poised, yet prone to the most comical mishaps.

But these are just surface values. The true value in this rare painting is what lies beneath the surface. This woman is deeply sensitive and incredibly sweet. She is a trustworthy confident and insuppressible cheerleader. She is amazingly forgiving, enormously generous and accepting of differences, flaws and inadequacies. She is unpretentious despite all her perfections because she is her own worst critic - she believes herself to be very flawed and inadequate.

She is my sister.

Still there is more to this picture. Something a little bit mysterious. Mysterious because I would guess, (beyond a subtle, easily dismissed sensation) it goes mostly undetected. The mysteriousness about her is that she is often quite melancholy.

Why, you might ask, could this perfect person be prone to bouts of dysphoria. I think it is people that make her sad. I think most people don't give her the same confidence, encouragement, forgiveness and acceptance that she so naturally and generously doles out. I think this leaves her feeling lonely and un-understood. I think most people assume a person like her doesn't make mistakes, doesn't need a cheerleader and always has things go her way.

Next time you see Debbie Kim, be soft to her, be kind and gentle and forgiving. She is not a perfect picture. She is human - an amazing, beautiful human person.

I love you Debbie.

Your forever adoring little sister, Eileen

P.S. If you want to know more about Debbie, visit her BLOG at 360.yahoo.com/bostonangeleno