A Keep Well Reflection
As a young man growing up, I often felt a quiet anger about what had happened to my ancestors from Africa.
The stories of slavery, separation, injustice, and humiliation were not just history to me – they felt deeply personal.
Even though these events were far in the past, the emotions were very real in the present.
And for many years I assumed that anger was simply part of being aware… part of remembering… part of honouring.
But over time, a quieter question began to form in my mind:
Is this really what my forefathers would have expected of me – to carry the burden of anger in my body – or were they hoping for something different?
The moment awareness deepened
For many of my generation, awareness did not come only from books. Sometimes it arrived in a single, unforgettable image.
The 1968 Olympic protest
When John Carlos and Tommie Smith stood on the Olympic podium in 1968 and raised their gloved fists, the world paused.
It was more than a sporting moment.
It was a statement of dignity, protest, and truth.
For many young Black people watching – myself included – it was an awakening.
A sudden, clear reminder that the struggle of our ancestors was not only history.
And its echoes were still present in the world around us.
That moment stirred something deep inside. Like many others, I felt anger rise – not only at the past, but at the realisation of how long injustice can endure.
And for years, that anger felt inseparable from awareness itself.
Looking beyond the pain
History often tells the story of what was done to our ancestors. But it does not always tell the story of what was alive within them. They were not only victims of suffering.
They were also:
- people of faith
- people of courage
- mothers and fathers protecting their children
- men and women who refused to let hope die
Somehow, through conditions designed to break the human spirit, they continued to believe that life could move forward. And the clearest proof of that hope…
is that we are still here.
Survival was not the final dream
The more I reflected, the more I realised something important. My ancestors did not endure everything they endured so that future generations could live in permanent anger. They endured because they believed in a future:
- children who could grow in safety
- families who could stay together
- people who could walk with dignity
- lives that could be healthier, freer, and more peaceful
In other words, they were not only surviving the present. They were reaching toward the future.
And that future…is now.
Honouring without carrying burden
There is a difference between remembering and carrying the burden.
Remembering gives wisdom.
Carrying the burden creates weight.
For a long time, I thought honouring my ancestors meant holding tightly to the pain of the past. But I have come to see another possibility:
Perhaps the greatest honour to them is not to carry their suffering, but to live the freedom they hoped for.
To breathe deeply.
To stand upright.
To care for my health.
To build community.
To help others live with dignity.
Each small step toward this quietly says:
The story did not end in suffering.
Life continued.
Hope was not wasted.
Living as fulfilment, not repayment
Sometimes we feel an unspoken pressure to remain angry, so that we do not forget.
As if peace itself might somehow be a betrayal.
But when I think quietly about the men and women before me,
I find it hard to believe their deepest wish would be for us
to:
“stay wounded in order to remember them”.
More likely, their wish was:
“Live well… because we could not.”
That changes everything.
We are not here to repay suffering.
We are here to complete the journey.
A Keep Well reflection
In my work helping older adults regain strength, mobility, and confidence,
I see something meaningful every day.
When someone who felt weak begins to stand taller…
when someone who felt isolated begins to laugh again…
when dignity returns to a life that felt like it was fading…
that is more than health improvement.
It is continuation of hope.
And in quiet moments I realise:
What they hoped for… is living in us now.
Not perfectly.
Not completely.
But truly.
And perhaps the greatest way to honour those who came before us is simply:
Keep your body well.
Keep your spirit peaceful.
Keep your community strong.
Because every life lived in dignity is an answer to history.
Keep Well.
Cedric A. Murray
Health Coach – Keep Well Nutrition & Health