HAPPINESS

Dear friends,

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 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."

"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."