Her skin is dark, nevertheless I call her
"Sunshine." When I look upon her, I look not at outer beauty,
but I look at beauty that goes deeper than skin. While she
denys it, I insist, even though some in-house joke has soiled
her opinion of the word.
She has a reality about her that indicates that she know who
she is, knows that she wants to do better in life, and is
conscious of where she came from. She holds her cards close
as to her origins, but her talk bespeaks knowledge of a
life that is hard, aspirations of the past which have been
often dashed, and a sensitivity that is needful for any
aspiring soul-sister in the USA.
She rejects being the object of mere physical attraction, but
buries her private fears, to be forthcoming under any circumstance
to an office entered regularly by strangers of all races with
a bright smile and a cheerful greeting. No matter how
intriguing or boring the guest may be, she makes it a point
to show interest, to provide eye contact, thoughtful
listening, and careful attention to detail. She is not a
dim-witted bureaucrat filling a slot from 9-5, but a bubbling
bundle of personality willing to go the extra mile to be
sure that a job is done, a contact is made, and a followup
is completed.
When rejected, she can privately show a bit of insecurity and
gloom, but she does not cling long to those shadows. She
rebounds quickly, so as never to pass her personal feelings far
enough along to the next person who walks through the door.
In an office where it could be acceptable to dress as drably
as you please, she makes resourceful use of her clothing
collection to always look stylish, but not gawdy...to look
a bit sexy, but not erotic...to exude confidence without
making herself the center of attention. It is her smile,
her charm, her inner spirit, that outshine anything about
her appearance.
She charms my heart when I come through the door...no matter
how tired, no matter how distracted, no matter how confused.
She sets my mind at ease, helps me sort out my business, and
when I leave -- I am impressed that I met someone who is as
caring and sensitive as the person that I go home to -- sometimes
even more so.
And so, even if she rejects the moniker, I would sign any
recommendation -- or were I able, a marriage license -- for the
one I call: My sunshine. Hope to see you on the internet
someday, soon. -- The HartKeeper
The HartKeeper 
