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A Room With A View
Author Unknown
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 two men talked for
hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their
homes, their
jobs, their involvement in the military service, as well as where they
had been on vacations.
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 man described the
view from the window where it 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 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 real
world
outside. 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 the things you have that money can't buy.
"Today is a gift,
that's why it is called the present."
The origin of this letter
is unknown, but it is rumored to bring good luck to everyone who shares
it.
Contributed
by
James Odle, Jr.
Defining
Moments
Archives
Copyright
© 2006, Jace Carlton. All International Rights Reserved.
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