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Hospital Windows
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 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
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 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."
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