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.

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.”

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