I've come to the point for the most part, where I'm kind of tired of it. I think most people when they think of the Titanic, think of the big James Cameron movie from '97, and they roll their eyes, or make a joke about it.
Every once in a while though, I'll open a book, and read a personal story or two about the passengers, and man! Can't help but get emotional.
For example:
"Mrs. Stanton Abbott, divorced wife of a former middleweight boxer in England, was returning to East Providence with her two sons Rossmore (16 yrs.) and Eugene (13 yrs). As Titanic was sinking all three waited until the end, then jumped into the water. Mrs. Abbott managed to get into the half-submerged Collapsible Lifeboat A and had to stand for several hours in water up to her knees until picked up by Fifth Officer Lowe in Collapsible Lifeboat D. The two boys were never seen again after they jumped into the water." --Titanic Names by Lee W. Merideth
--as I read this, I thought of my sweet boys. I'd just want to die myself if I lost any of my kids.
also:
"Edith Evans was single and traveling alone. She met up with several passengers, including Mrs. John M. Brown who although was much older, had young children at home. Miss Evans and Mrs. Brown managed to get up to Collapsible Lifeboat D, the last lifeboat, but it was full and only had room for one more person. Edith Evans, who was closest to the lifeboat, stepped back and told Mrs. Brown to get in, telling her "you go first, you have children waiting at home". Mrs. Brown was saved, but Miss Evans was not. She was one of four First Class women who were lost."--Titanic Names by Lee W. Merideth
Wow! chokes me up every time I read that story.
What a heroic woman. I know there is a special place reserved for her in Heaven. Not to mention the hundreds of other heroic men and women who gave their lives that night.
I pray I will never have to find out if I have what it takes to make that kind of sacrifice.
10 comments:
Yeah, not a fan of the movie. But there's one part in the moive that sort of chokes me up, and it's when that elderly couple are holding each other, waiting for the water to come.
That part always sticks with me and makes the tragedy come to life.
amazing stories of love, sacrifice and ...., its the real stories that get to me too and appreciate all that I have, even the trials.
A long time ago, there was a wreck in the ocean and this older man saved like 7 or 8 lives, the water was freezing cold but he kept letting others go ahead of him, when it was finally time for him to get on, he couldn't hold on anymore and drowned. SO SO SAD!!
If I was a member of his family I would be so proud of him yet so angry with him too. Proud that he would let others go because he could hold on and he sacrificed and angry because he should have cared about those who he would have left behind. WHEN giving that type of service you can never go wrong.
I wonder what if you could only save one of two of your children. what would I do?? I couldn't make the choice! I couldn't! I think we would all die together. I just don't know.
wow. wow.wow. I loved this post Mikki. I recently read a book I have gathered with some homeschooling materials about a boys toy bear that survived the titanic disaster and it had a lot of info and stories like these in it. Absolutely amazing and heart touching. I too hope I will never have to make such sacrifices especially like Mother Goose mentioned having to choose one kid over the other. ugh! That really would be hard. It think after life reunions would still be sweet no matter what.
now as for the movie. I loved it and wasn't one of the ones that saw it seven times or more in the theater and have only seen it twice so I don't roll my eyes when hearing of it. My favorite part was the amazing costumes and how they brought the history to life. Of course I cry too. :)
Thanks for making us think with this beautiful post Mikki!
Blessings on your weekend!
i love reading and leaning more abut the TITANIC. it is such a tragic story......
i have read several books about it and i cry EVERY SINGLE TIME.
so many emotions throughout the whole thing!!! happiness, amazement, fear, pain, sadness.... and more.
Great post, Mikki!
Thanks for sharing, Mikki. I think it would be fascinating to see everything that you saw in the exhibit!
I enjoy hearing uplifting, inspiring stories of people who gave their "all" for some one else. So selfless, in a selfish world.
We just went to a traveling Titanic display last weekend. I thought it would be interesting, but I didn't realize how emotional it was.
These stories brought tears to my eyes. Thanks for posting them.
it reminds me of a song that I love in which the three people singing (a French jewish man whose parents came from Poland, a Welsh man and a black american woman) wonders what they would have done if they had had to prove they worth in times of need such as being or not being a resistant during WWII, being Irish in Ireland or being white in South Africa before the Apartheid was put down.
The song says that we can't tell what we would have been and that we hide behind what people see of us but "qu'on nous épargne à toi et moi si possible très longtemps, d'avoir à choisir un camps"
May you and I be spared for a long time to have to make such a choice.
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