Guest guest Posted November 19, 2005 Report Share Posted November 19, 2005 ambika nair wrote: I thought I will share Hospital Window with all of you. The origin of this letter is unknown but it reminds me of Amma's teaching. Look within. What happens outside is not in your control but you can stay happy within if you make the effort. Hospital Window 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. 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. ....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." Dear ambika nair ~ thank you for sharing this marvelous story. I had read it before, but it penetrated my heart even more deeply this time. Why? The last time I read it was years ago, before I became so ill. I was like the blind man staring at a blank wall but seeing beauty everywhere. As the course of my illness has progressed; as I have lost everything because of being unable to work, as I have gone through all I have gone through as a result of this illness, I have struggled to retain that part of me ... but more and more, she has dissipated to become a mere whisp. Yet, I look forward to very simple things now ~ reading this digest, a drive to town and getting a cup of coffee at my favorite coffee shop, seeing a friend. But at the same time I have noticed a subtle change of my attitude ~ I am more impatient with my pets. If I am feeling really sick, I want my cats to stay off my lap and leave me alone ... very difficult for them, especially Princess, who was born to be a lap kitty. I feel a sense of bitterness toward my mother and stepfather (some here know why, and I won't belabor any others with the details). Yet, I struggle to do what one of my therapists called "behaving well." To me this is like Amma talking to me ... no matter how others have treated me, no matter what I am going through, I can choose to behave well. I don't always do it, but much of the time, I do. Recently, many here blessed me with their empathy when my puppie ate my Amma doll. (He did not eat all of Her, just Her left leg and Her right arm, and some of Her hair. My hubby just recently made the prosthetic leg for Her, so now She can sit up again. I will sew up what is left of Her one arm, and close the hole on Her right foot, then dress Her back in Her petticoat and sari. Then She will be dedicated to all the people who suffer because of physical ailments. I have read many account where Amma has allowed Herself to become physically ill, taking on the illness of a devotee as She works to heal it. Perhaps it is to also show us that, although She is Divine, She is also human. My birthday occurred earlier in the month. Just two days ago I got a present from my Mother. When I opened the box, I cried and cried. Can you guess what was inside? My Mother, who is also very ill, sent me her own Amma doll. What a precious gift she gave me, and I know the gift also came from Amma. When I called my mother to thank her, she mentioned that she has a little bathing suit for the Amma doll and a little sweater that she had forgotten to send. Also, since I have to wait until next year to see Amma, it is if She came to me, in Her own way. So thank you for the reminder to appreciate the small things and put them into the foreground. Jai Jai Ma ~ Linda "Don't think that you are physically away from Mother. Stop listening to your mind and you will feel Amma right there in your heart. Then you will know that Amma has never forgotten you, that you have always existed in Her and always will." ~ Amma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 19, 2005 Report Share Posted November 19, 2005 Dear Ambika, Thank you so much for sharing this story. I read it over the phone to my mother who is ninety years old and contemplating death. She loved the story deeply. It helped her to realize the importance of sharing and helping others even when near death. It helped us to share and reconcile some things. I feel that it will enable her to pass more peacefully. Pahari Maa PS I have also shared the story with my daughter and my boss. On Nov 19, 2005, at 6:52 AM, nierika wrote: > > ambika nair wrote: > > I thought I will share Hospital Window with all of you. > > The origin of this letter is unknown but it reminds me of Amma's > teaching. > Look within. What happens outside is not in your control but you can > stay > happy within if you make the effort. > > Hospital Window > > 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. > > 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. > > ...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." > > > Dear ambika nair ~ thank you for sharing this marvelous story. I had > read it > before, but it penetrated my heart even more deeply this time. Why? > The last > time I read it was years ago, before I became so ill. I was like the > blind > man staring at a blank wall but seeing beauty everywhere. As the > course of my > illness has progressed; as I have lost everything because of being > unable to > work, as I have gone through all I have gone through as a result of > this > illness, I have struggled to retain that part of me ... but more and > more, she > has dissipated to become a mere whisp. > > Yet, I look forward to very simple things now ~ reading this digest, > a drive > to town and getting a cup of coffee at my favorite coffee shop, > seeing a > friend. But at the same time I have noticed a subtle change of my > attitude ~ I > am more impatient with my pets. If I am feeling really sick, I want > my cats to > stay off my lap and leave me alone ... very difficult for them, > especially > Princess, who was born to be a lap kitty. I feel a sense of > bitterness toward > my mother and stepfather (some here know why, and I won't belabor > any others > with the details). Yet, I struggle to do what one of my therapists > called > "behaving well." To me this is like Amma talking to me ... no matter > how others > have treated me, no matter what I am going through, I can choose to > behave > well. I don't always do it, but much of the time, I do. > > Recently, many here blessed me with their empathy when my puppie ate > my Amma > doll. (He did not eat all of Her, just Her left leg and Her right > arm, and > some of Her hair. My hubby just recently made the prosthetic leg for > Her, so > now She can sit up again. I will sew up what is left of Her one arm, > and close > the hole on Her right foot, then dress Her back in Her petticoat and > sari. > Then She will be dedicated to all the people who suffer because of > physical > ailments. I have read many account where Amma has allowed Herself to > become > physically ill, taking on the illness of a devotee as She works to > heal it. > Perhaps it is to also show us that, although She is Divine, She is > also human. > > My birthday occurred earlier in the month. Just two days ago I got a > present > from my Mother. When I opened the box, I cried and cried. Can you > guess what > was inside? My Mother, who is also very ill, sent me her own Amma > doll. What > a precious gift she gave me, and I know the gift also came from Amma. > When I > called my mother to thank her, she mentioned that she has a little > bathing > suit for the Amma doll and a little sweater that she had forgotten to > send. > Also, since I have to wait until next year to see Amma, it is if She > came to me, > in Her own way. > > So thank you for the reminder to appreciate the small things and put > them > into the foreground. Jai Jai Ma ~ Linda > > "Don't think that you are physically away from Mother. > Stop listening to your mind > and you will feel Amma right there in your heart. > Then you will know that Amma has never forgotten you, > that you have always existed in Her and always will." ~ Amma > > > > > > > Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha! > > > > > > > ▪  Visit your group "Ammachi" on the web. >  > ▪  >  Ammachi >  > ▪  Terms of > Service. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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