Tom's Blog on Life

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.
With his illness, 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 so much more.
Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window and 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.
Mothers walked their babies in prams. 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 details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by and although the other man could not hear the band – he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with such descriptive words.
Days, weeks and months passed and one morning the day nurse arrived to bring water for their bed baths.
Good Morning’ she said as always, ‘and how are you two this fine day?’
But today, only one of them replied.
She went to the bed by the window and discovered that the man must have died peacefully in his sleep for he appeared to be smiling
Saddened, she called the day staff and quietly and with respect, they took his body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window and the nurses were happy to make the switch.
After making sure he was comfortable, they left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, feeling a little giddy from the exertion, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside.
He strained to slowly turn and look, then shocked, he pressed the panic button to call the nurse.
It was the same young nurse that entered and he said ‘Nurse, I do not understand. This window, it faces a blank wall’
And he asked what could have compelled his deceased friend to describe such wonderful things going on outside this window.
The nurse replied that the man was blind and could not even see the window.
‘Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you,’ she said.
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For me, there is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations.
Shared grief halves the sorrow, but when happiness is shared, it is doubled.
If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can’t buy.
There is a phrase I once read and I rather like it.
‘Today is a gift, that is why it is called The Present.’
The origin of this letter is unknown but on a track on their White Album the Beatles sang…
‘And in the end, the love you get is equal to the love you give.’
Enjoy the moments.
Feel free to pass this on to others.
David