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."
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."