Fwd: [avl] Re: Touching Story !!!

[Guest guest]

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One

man was allowed to sit up in is 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 s 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. "