Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Giving hope!!!

Here is a little story:

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoonto help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to theroom'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 periodswhere his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activityand 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 modelboats.Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and afine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, theman on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imaginethe 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. Inhis mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it withdescriptive words. Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their bathsonly to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who haddied peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called thehospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could bemoved next to the window.The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he wascomfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take hisfirst 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 wonderfulthings outside this window.

The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see thewall. 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."

sameer bhat

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