>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
>this world 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.