Story Of Hope

August 24, 2007

A Story of Hope 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." Author Unknown

August 25, 2007

What a TOUCHING and BEAUTIFUL story ...

I sit here at my computer, tears dripping from my eyes and down my

face, salty eyelashes still stiff from the cry i had about a half

hour ago... it is true that the spirit of a beautiful person and an

act of kindness is the greatest gift one can give or receive!!

Exposure to these sacred moments leave me breathless. This story

makes me cry for two reasons that i wanted to share... the first one

is probably the obvious one of the touching spirit and selfless love

contained within the blind man to bring such happiness and joy into

the life of his rommie... this kind of giving and affection is

expression of love in its purest form i believe. The second and

possibly the " sadder " of the two for me is that the blind man died

without knowing how deeply he had really impacted the life of his

friend, and without his friend having the chance to even know the

depth of the gift he was receiving and show his appreciation for it.

I wonder... am i the only one that wept at this story? And if not,

why do acts of beauty bring soo so many tears and emotions up in

us?? Shouldn't beauty feel lighter and be filled with a less painful

kind of joy??

Anywayz... thank you for your many selfless gifts to us , i am

deeply touched and am grateful for your beautiful spirit.

Jus me ~ C

>

> A Story of Hope

> 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. "

> Author Unknown

>

August 25, 2007