A Family Reunion on the Titanic

Adam grew up in Southampton, a picturesque city that maintained strong ties to the Mayflower. Sadly, his parents relocated him at the young age of two to experience the excitement of London.

So when his parents told him that they were going on an excursion trip on the Titanic with many of my family members who still lived in Southampton, Adam revolted. Why would a young teenager want to spend six days with other family members that felt like perfect strangers?

His parents remained persistent and said, 'What could go wrong by investing less than a week of your life exploring your ancestral roots, followed by an exciting visit to one of the greatest cities in the world?" After a few weeks of being badgered, he agreed to take the maiden voyage scheduled to depart on April 10, 1912.

On the day of departure from Southampton, the weather was a balmy 50 degrees while passengers slid under warm blankets at night to battle the subfreezing temperatures.

Family Nights

Adam's first family meal was awkward as he felt obligated to feign excitement when meeting family members he never had met before. He couldn't avoid the sadness of growing up without the love and support of a real family, as he was witnessing first-hand.

However, after several meals with his family, he began to feel less of a stranger as others described the experiences they enjoyed with his parents. The stories melted his heart and caused him to start enjoying the company of family!

Not surprisingly, he began to look forward to having meals with the cousins, aunts, and uncles that he had never met. He became incredulous that he was now opening his heart to these individuals.

Looking forward to seeing his family members became something that now felt good instead of an anxiety-prone event.

The family bonding felt sincere and left him wondering how his life would have evolved if he had grown up in Southampton.

Almost There

On the night of April 14, 1912, many family members began to finalize their sightseeing plans in New York City and put the finishing touches on a reunion in Southampton planned for the following year.

Confusion Reigns

In the early morning hours of April 15, 2012, many woke up to a bumpy ride and the sound of footsteps running in multiple directions. Within 30 minutes, the sounds became louder; as staff members repeated the phrase, “Please stay calm, and give us time to get the ship back on its proper course.” The message was comforting, but their horrified facial expressions told a vastly different story.

After closing their cabin doors, many wondered whether this was simply a safety drill or something of grave concern. This question was answered when officials announced preparations for an immediate evacuation. When asked if this was a precautionary strategy, officials repeated the phrase, “Please move quickly, as we have incomplete information on the structural integrity of this vessel."

Passengers faced two options. Jump into small lifeboats or wait to be evacuated from the structurally impaired ship.

The confusion worsened after learning that the space in lifeboats was limited and restricted to women and children. Many families faced the difficult decision of jumping into lifeboats without fully understanding the odds of survival versus waiting to be evacuated from the larger vessel.

Adam was comforted by the family bonding during the trip and was prepared to accept the outcome generated by the split decisions made with limited information. As officials announced that the small lifeboats could accommodate only about half of the passengers on the Titanic, Adam lobbied to stay with family on the larger vessel.

Tough Decision

Adam's family decided to take his advice and assumed that if the outcome were unfavorable, they would enjoy the satisfaction of perishing together.

The outcome was not good, as 67 percent of all passengers on the Titanic did not survive! Many lifeboats overturned in the bitter cold waters causing passengers to succumb quickly. Adam lost his parents and his family on that fateful morning.

Although Adam miraculously survived, he left the ship the same way he boarded, without a family.

The only difference is that Adam would never have to imagine what life would be like if he had the warmth and support of a loving family!