"Swallow your discontent, and try to get along with one another."

The second clients that Nurse Iwamoto took me was a 93-year-old WWII veteran, who had spent his youth as a POW in China. While the fellow POW's had been dying of starvation, he had survived the captivity because of his farming background and industriousness. As an appreciation for his diligence, Chinese farmers had allowed him to eat some harvests. In addition, he had had the knowledge of edible weed. After he shared the painful memories with me, this war survivor repeated to me, "There is nothing good about wars. You got to swallow your discontent, and put your efforts in getting along with one another."  『戦争なんて、何もいいどごね。我慢して、みんなで仲良く生きねば。』

We often hear the word "gaman" in Japan. It means endurance or to put up with the situation. If everyone pushes his/her ways, peace will never be achieved. Instead, do "gaman" and find the ways to live peacefully with one another. His pleading is still echoing in my heart.