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."
more story at http://inspireme.net/more_inspiring_Stories/hospital-windows.htm
