Thread: stories and stuff with messages..

Two men, both seriously ill, shared a 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, speaking 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 most descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find that the man by the window 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!

When the nurse returned, the man told her what his deceased roommate had done, describing such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could'nt even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

And the message is this:
There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled.

Nice one Liz, that was great......lol.....

Nice.

Very nice, Liz!

Okay Liz

You've got the goosebumps happening all over on that one!!

Nice!!

btw Liz, those feet are really smelling today, where were you walking? Or what were you doing? Phewwwwwwwwww lol

Thanks for sharing Liz!

Nice one Liz................

Its nice to be important....but its more important to be nice.

Read at the funeral of a friend.

A PARABLE OF IMMORTALITY

by Henry Van Dyke

"I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength, and I stand and watch until at last she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come down to mingle with each other. Then someone at my side says, 'There she goes!'
Gone where? Gone from my sight ... that is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of destination. Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says, 'There she goes!' there are other eyes watching her coming and their voices ready to take up the glad shouts 'Here she comes!'"

That was wonderful Liz

Liz,
That is one of the most beautiful things I've read. Thanks.

Choco

whoooooo hoooooooo hippity hoppity easter's on it's way