HOW DOES IT START

Everybody comes from somewhere, and some are lucky enough to be able to trace their family history back through the ages. I can't follow mine completely, but enough to make it interesting. Ironcially, I never knew any of this as a child but it would have really been cool! Once you read this story you will understand. The family would talk sometimes of Uncle Peter and that he married an "Indian Princess", but that was about it. His history went back somewhere in the 1600’s or 1700’s we thought, but no one knew for sure. Of course, thoughts tend to proliferate when you begin to think about history and our forefathers along with the travels of the Pilgrims and how this great country was settled.

The information reflected that the paternal side of the family had descended from a long line of Native American lineage. This was always suspected, but never really proven. Of course, in the US, it is not be unusual for many people to have some Native American ancestry. My maternal grandmother, who died long before I was born, was of Cherokee and Spanish descent. My maternal great grandfather's surname was Hernandez, and there was also Libby showing a Dutch connection. We tried to research the maternal side of the family but it went in so many directions that it was literally impossible to follow. So before you decide to do delve into your genealogy, be warned that it can be a daunting task.

On my father’s side, the sleuthing was different. Family discussions of Uncle Peter would include that he came from France. Peter had allegedly married an "Indian Princess", so since it sounded like some Pocahontas story that you read in grade school, we just passed it off as folklore. As with many folklores however, there is some truth…..

I discovered that we could trace the family back to the Wampanoag tribe and Chief Massasoit. The tribe stretched throughout the Northeastern continent in the 17th century and was one of the largest tribes of the time. Massasoit was born in 1580 and was the Chief of the Wampanoag when the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth. According to Wikipedia:

The first American Thanksgiving was a feast that took place on an unremembered date, sometime in the autumn of 1621, at Plymouth Plantation, Massachusetts. In 1620, a group led by separatists from the Church of England, who were heading for Virginia, instead landed at modern-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, for uncertain reasons. In the autumn of 1621, they celebrated a three-day harvest feast with the native Wampanoag people, without whom they would not have survived the winter of 1620.

Massasoit had two sons; Wamsutta, afterward named Alexander, who eventually succeeded his father as head of the tribe, and Pometacom, alias King Philip who became famous in his own right through the King Philip’s war. Which, for that time period was a very bloody battle between the Wampanoag tribe and the colonies of the time.

Along this timeline, W. William Austin came into the picture. Bill was a “Famous Indian Scout”. Other than that, there is not much recorded history. Bill Austin - "Famous Indian Scout" married and American woman and they bore a son named William. William (the son) was captured by the Indians in 1675 when he was about 5 years old. According to documentation that I discovered he married the daughter of Wamsutta (King Alexander) and he and his Indian bride bore a daughter-Mercy. Our connection came in when Mercy, daughter of William Austin and Indian Princess (daughter of a “King”) married James which is the son of Uncle Peter. As history was in those times, the details are scarce and sometimes fabricated or confusing.

That, I suppose, is what makes life interesting.

I guess the real truth is that is really does not matter where you came from. In the US, we are simply a melting pot of the world. Sadly, there are those that can never trace their family ancestry. They know that they came from Spain, or France, or Africa but that is all they know. We can’t trace our lineage to France although it has been tried.

What matters is where you are going, and that is what makes a difference. The fact of the matter is that you are here today for a reason-a very special reason. You were placed on this earth at this place and time for a purpose and each of you are a part of the plan. Each and everyone of us is here because it is part of the plan. We can't all be President. We can’t all be famous or rich, or powerful. But each of us is unique in everyway. There is a beauty inside each person.

I know that some that read this will not understand. I also know that not everyone has the same faith. Some believe in God, some in Allah, some in a higher power, and some don’t believe anything. Whatever your belief, it is your choice. I will tell you however that I believe that God has a plan for everyone whether you believe in Him or not. Each person in the world has a talent. Sometimes you need to find it, but it is there. One reason that you are here on this earth is to share that talent, that gift that you have been given. It may be music, creativity, speech, care, intelligence, or, believe it or not, physically disabled. Every person born unto this world has a purpose. The point is that you are here to help, or influence someone in your path each day. It took many years for me to understand this, and even now I question many things.

Take some time to find your place. It is there and waiting for discovery. Once you find it, it will open your mind and your heart like you have never seen.

Many blessings......................