Deciding the route to take in writing this blog was quite worrying at first because aside this one you are reading, I haven't written something like this before.
Epitaph, a huge vocabulary for something very important yet has the simplest of meanings. Have you ever taken note of the writings on a grave? If you have been to the cemetery before then you probably have encountered graves that had writings on them. If you have not seen in real life, you most definitely have seen one in a movie.
Epitaph
Epitaphs are simply form of words engraved on a tombstone or grave to give you an idea of what the person was about or who the person was. In other words, an epitaph is a phrase written in memory of a deceased.
After surfing the net for various epitaphs of various people, I came across one that I like. Not until you browse the net for epitaphs, you wouldn't know the sweet and encouraging words families write for their deceased.
"Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty I'm free at last." These are the famous of the famous human rights activist Martin Luther King that have been engraved on his tomb. Some of you might know these words because you are familiar with his work or you have stumbled upon it somewhere but for non history students like myself, these words were the ending to the great speech, "I have a dream" delivered by Martin Luther King in 1963.
Martin Luther King Jr
We have had several greats fight racism of which some have lost their lives for. Martin Luther King Jr was one of those who fought for equal rights for black people and to end racial discrimination. He was an activist, a political philosopher and a Christian minister who was known for a lot of things. He was known for his ability to deliver great talks and speeches that would rally people to fight for what they believed in.
In 1964, Martin Luther King won the Nobel Peace Prize for using non violent means to fight for equal rights. Racism is still being fought today but I would like to believe it is much better than it was in the past due to the works of great men and women like Martin Luther King Jnr.
I have a dream
You might be wondering why I was drawn to this epitaph. Freedom is a big word and to achieve total freedom must feel very good and very right. I am fortunate that I was born into a country that achieved independence in 1957 from the colonial masters. I believe real freedom is achieved when we pass on and we are resting peacefully with the Almighty.
I decided to share this epitaph because not only does it remind us of a great man, it tells a story of how the partner of Matthew Luther King had this engraved for her husband. Wouldn't you want your wife or husband to have good memories of you when you are gone. This proves how passionate he was about the cause. It also tells us to fight for what we believe in and while doing it, find the people who believe in us.
"Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty I'm free at last" can be interpreted in more than one way but I like to believe no matter how you interpret this, it will lead you to one conclusion which is finding peace in death.
So, what do you think of the epitaph of Martin Luther King I have shared? Do you have any you would like to talk about. Join in the Inleo montly calendar prompts.
This is my response to day 6 of the April InLeo monthly calendar. I encourage you to join.
Thank you.