A few days ago, Ronald Sakolsky sent us a photo of a flower he planted in his front yard after returning from China, with the flags of China and the U.S. beside it. For him, it was both a promise and a small step toward bringing people closer.

"It all has to take baby steps. Doing this interview with you is another baby step," he told China Daily. "Your story will get to other people. And all that does is build the bridge."