Changing a Day


The story is told of two men, both seriously ill, who occupied the same hospital room.  One man 
was well enough that he was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon.  His bed 
was next to the room's only window.  The other man across the room from the window had to 
spend all his time flat on his back.  

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 when 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 and this is the scene the man heard about:

"Ducks and swans are playing on the water while the children sail their model boats nearby.  A 
young lady dangles her feet in the water, and a young man is tossing a stick for his handsome 
dog to fetch.  Lovers walk arm in arm amidst flowers of every color.  A fine view of the city 
skyline is visible in the distance."

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a passing parade.  Although the other 
man couldn't hear the band, he could see it in his mind's eye and hear it in his imagination as 
the patient by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.  On other days descriptions of 
other scenes sustained the man with no view.  As the scenes were described in exquisite detail, 
he would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque images.

Days and weeks passed.  One morning, the nurse came into the room 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, the beautiful scene he had heard about for so long.  He strained to slowly turn 
to look out the window beside the bed.  

The window faced a blank wall.  The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his 
deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this same window.  The 
nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.  "Perhaps he just 
wanted to encourage you," she said.

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.  Pass along the gift 
of happiness.

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up."
1 Thessalonians 5:11