Each of us began millennia ago. There is a term, "self-made." We might say, "He is a self-made man." There's no such thing. We are the products of our DNA, what we learn from our immediate family and relations, and how we are shaped by our communities. When I use the word "community," I don't mean a geographic location. We each belong to many communities: our neighborhood, our school, clubs and hobby groups, faith-based groups, our work environment. Who I am today began long ago. I cannot speak for others, but for me, I feel a deep connection to the past and have a profound respect for the ancestors. They weren't perfect, and I'm not perfect either, but they are real, and they live on through me. I tap the positive influences they provide and walk away from their errors with the hope that I have learned from their mistakes. And I forgive them. Forgiveness doesn't mean what someone has done is okay; it means moving past what they...