Unchain your heart......

[Guest guest]

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 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. "

 

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.