MAKING SOMEONE HAPPY

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."

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. "Today is a gift, that's why

it is called the present."

The origin of this letter is unknown

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