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. And
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 of the rainbow. Grand
old trees graced the landscape, 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
world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself. 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. If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things
you have that money can't buy. "Today is a gift, that's why it is called the
present."