Do you remember “your first encounter with beauty”?

In the crisp air of winter, the sunrise you saw—

and in the dimness of a museum, Girl with a Pearl Earring; or the delicate tones of a piano played just so—

each person will have their own unique first experiences.

For me, one of them is my mother’s hands.

But what drew me in was not the hands themselves.

It was the small treasures that would shine at her fingertips—rings, watches, and bracelets.

When I was a child, the shifting sparkle that changed with the movement of her hands, and the finely crafted pieces down to the smallest detail—

though they were confined to a limited space of her hand, they were at the same time “a vast world.”

Even now, in those moments when I become absorbed in that “narrow yet wide world,”

for me, there is no real wide world—only the enjoyment of the beauty woven by small treasures.

When people experience beauty, they may sometimes feel longing, awe, or even happiness.

The emotional responses after one recognizes beauty vary,

but “beauty,” as one of the ways people perceive information when they take it in,

is something I believe can truly evoke powerful emotions.

That is why, even today, I live alongside those small treasures.

Because their beauty becomes an exit from the noise and bustle of everyday life,

and also an entry point to a fervent passion for longing.