The healing that continues

Editor's note: CGTN's First Voice provides instant commentary on breaking stories. The column clarifies emerging issues and better defines the news agenda, offering a Chinese perspective on the latest global events.

"He watched from the tree as Japanese soldiers killed his compatriots, his heart ached." This is the memory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression that the third-generation mainlander Liu Yuanyuan's grandfather could never forget. Those seemingly understated experiences represent the silent scars of an entire generation. Just like Jack's grandfather who flew bombers to fight for his country, and Marina's great-great-grandmother who survived the bloodshed in Leningrad, each family's memory reflects a different facet of the war from that era. "He survived by eating leaves, and I heal others with herbal medicine" is Liu Yuanyuan's choice, and like those of Jack and Marina, it is a response to history: The choices the younger generation make today are all imprinted with the actions and experiences of their ancestors. May the chapters they continue to write sparks a better future for generations to come. 

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com. Follow @thouse_opinions on Twitter to discover the latest commentaries in the CGTN Opinion Section.)