She was at a talk show and the interviewer had asked her the reason why she wrote her famous book, “Shades of Beauty”. She was silent. Then it clicked. It was the day at the pond, with her husband. 

“Alright,” she says. She reclines on the armchair and begins.

It was 10 years ago. They sat on the bench before the pond. The sky was a combination of fiery pink and orange. Children were playing on the grass in the distance and they could hear their laughter. The ducks not-so-gracefully splashed in the pond. He and she had aged together, traveled the world, and shared memories together. 

She said, “The scene is so beautiful.”

He replied, “What is your definition of beautiful?”

“Well…” She stopped and thought deeply. She frowned. “You always do this. You never let us enjoy the moment and ask these thinking questions.”

There was silence.

“But I am not sure. What do you think it means to be beautiful?” She sighed.

He smiled. “In Japan, it was considered beautiful to paint teeth black. In the Western World, It was considered beautiful to have fair skin and a slim body. But is that all there is? Appearance?”

The sun dipped into the horizon, and the colors of the sky began to dim. 

“And that's the question I tried to answer through my book.” She said, still relaxing on the armchair.

After the interview, she decided to go back to the pond, where it all started. The sky was a combination of fiery pink and orange. Children were playing on the grass in the distance and she could hear their laughter. The ducks not-so-gracefully splashed in the pond. She sat on the very bench.

“Definition of beauty.” She thinks to herself. “Something that you are attracted to. The way someone thinks, acts, and experiences. These are all beautiful. Thank you for making me realize that.”

The sun dipped into the horizon, and the colors of the sky began to dim.