Faith Meets Life: Living in the shadow of Paris' image

This week Paris Hilton introduced her line of clothing and accessories, a yet another invitation into the world of hot and glamorous.

Not to begrudge her too much for finding a way to make a (pretty good) living, but is it really such a good idea to have people showing us that thinness + sequinned dress = beauty?

The Hiltons of the world draw our attention. They are gorgeous, rich, famous and smart, though perhaps a little shallow. Some are, as the saying goes, famous only for being famous, but famous nonetheless. Their images and comments are the bread and butter of ET and other major media venues. Most of us would love to be near them.

My friend N died in April of this year. She took her life. I found out about it this summer when I visited London and tried to meet her for a coffee. Her father told me. I had known her for about ten years.

N was not beautiful by the Hilton standard. She struggled with weight gains brought on by her anti-psychotic medication. Not many wanted to be near her.

She did not like the way she looked. She did not like her life. She used to tell me about wanting a family, marriage and children. She hated her forced drug injections, though they seemed to help her. The closest N got to living a glamorous life in recent years was by seeing entertainment shows on TV - in the London Psychiatric Hospital.

Knowing that I can't be a friend to N anymore has taught me something. While our attention is often drawn mainly to those who can present themselves as attractive and desirable, every person deserves to be loved and appreciated for who they are. N had very few friends because it was hard to handle her. As a result, few knew that she struggled to be at peace with her parents, and in the last months of her life, she found some of that.

Few realized that she had compassion for animals that are forced to be experimented on, so that the Hiltons and others who wear make up can do that without worrying about nasty side effects. She wrote to legislators and many other people begging for the cessation of cruel animal experiments.

Was there a connection between N's experience of forced treatments and her sympathy for other creatures forced into experiments, I think so, but I can't ask her at the moment.

N, may you be at peace today. I'm sorry I didn't support you more often. God bless you.

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