Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital
room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to
help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only
window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives
and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military
service, where they had been on vacation. Every afternoon when the man in the
bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his
roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other
bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened
and enlivened by all the activity and colour of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and
swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers
walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every colour and a fine view of the city skyline
could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in
exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes
and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade
passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it. In
his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive
words. Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water
for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who
had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital
attendants to take the body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he
could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and
after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to
take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to
look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the
nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such
wonderful things outside this window.
The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not
even see the wall.
She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage
you."
Epilogue:
"There is tremendous happiness in making others happy,
despite our own situations"
"Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled"
"Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled"
"If you want to feel rich, just count all the things
you have that money can't buy"; "Today is a gift, that's why it is
called the present."
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