It will take just 60 seconds
to read this and change your thinking..
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 color 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 color
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 details, the man on the other side of the room
would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon, the man
by the window described a parade passing by.
Although the other man could
not hear the band -he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the
window portrayed it with descriptive words.
Days, weeks and months
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 besides 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. If you want to feel rich, just
count all the things you have that money can't buy.
'Today is
a gift that is why it is called The Present.’
