What is Behind your Crest?

It is amazing to find out who or what is behind a person’s family crest. My daughter and I did our family crest (still in the progress of adding on and learning more) and we where delighted to find out that we are the decsendants of the Mayflower. Not just any passenger but a fellow who almost didn't make it across the pond. John Howland was the man who actually fell off the ship in a storm but luckily the crew was able to throw a line out and he was saved. He was a young lad who was an indentured servant but later rose to become a personal executive to the Governor John Carver. A real lift out of a lower class sort of story. Howland and his wife Elizabeth went on to have ten children and they in turn…..they too each had many offspring, until my darling daughter who is the great,great…. oh so many to count grand daughter of these amazing explorers, colonists, the original immigrants. The men and women who brought their hope and dreams and faith to this new world and made it their own. I could read and re-read their story a hundred times and see something new in each reading. It is so amazing and fascinating to me, and my daughter, that these are our ancestors and how amazing their lives where. How hard they had it and how truly strong they where. Certainly that strength must of somehow been passed down to us. In learning about other peoples lives and their heritage, it always astonishes me how resilient and powerful the love and perseverance had to be to live and to prosper. The ancestors path was laid in such unique and strong will in order to make way for who I am speaking to in front of me. The pure sacrifice and tremendous love they give to make their children’s lives better, safer and to see the go forward. To leave them with land or noble reputation or even if it is but a name. For my family, we are honored to know what two of the passengers from the 104 Mayflower passengers had given up for us to be here now. Free to pray, to build our own lives and to step upon this land with our own children. To be what we need to be or be whatever we feel empowered enough to be.