Mood: Hmm.............."_"...................

A great note for all to read it will take just 37 seconds to read
this and change your thinking.

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.

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 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............................................^_^..............................