The Titanic tragedy is perhaps one of the most well-known misfortunes of the modern time, thanks to its namesake movie which immortalized the story for generations across the whole wide world. And then to think of how full of hope all those on deck were when they first took off from Southampton, how the Titanic was the ship of dreams, and how violently those dreams crashed, never to resurface again.
It has been more than 104 years since the Titanic took its watery grave in 1912, more than 2.5 miles deep, nearest landmark being the coast of Newfoundland that too more than 370 miles away.
Survivors of the tragedy had always attracted a lot of attention, but they too dwindled away one by one, with the lapse of time. Recently the very last living survivor of the Titanic, Millvina Dean too passed away at the age of 97. And although she was just two months old at the time of the tragedy and couldn’t really recall much from the event, her whole life change from it.
She lost her father that fateful night, and though the family wanted to relocate to Kansas for better prospects, they all had to return to England. Thanks to the funds allocated to her as the victim of the great tragedy, she was able to pursue education and fared well during the time, becoming eligible for a variety of jobs. She even held posts such as cartographer and secretary during the time of the Second World War.
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Although she has no vivid memories from the time of the accident, she was one of the 706 survivors and that surely accounts for something. And throughout her life, she was part of enough events and discoveries related to the shipwreck which ensured that it will forever be in her memory. Just before her death in 2009, she shared a few words which should give courage and inspiration to all of humanity.
Being someone who’s entire life was so closely shaped by loss she had a rather optimistic attitude towards life. Perhaps when we’ve lost everything, we truly learn to appreciate what matters really. For her, life was to love and enjoy and not to spend cowering in fear of the unknown.
She said there is no point in living a life where you are only working yourself to your death hoping that one day you’ll enjoy your rewards. Nothing like that happens and you need to start living in the present, and always move with the flow.
