In places like Greece and Rome, archeologists study ancient ruins. They want to unlock the culture's heritage to better understand the present. Digging up artifacts always produces dirt and debris. Just like ancient ruins, before you can appreciate the treasure of the past, you have to identify the generational ruins in your family history…things like alcoholism, divorce, and racism. At first glance those broken bits seem like trash, but carefully dust off the shattered fragments. Take the ruins that affected our parents' lives—and our own—then clear the rubble of the past, one step at a time. In this way, you can survive something terrible by piecing together a treasure that your children can admire for years to come. You will leave a legacy.