Saturday, July 9, 2016

SPECIAL EDITION! THE HOSPITAL WINDOW


Is the title of today's inspirational
message.

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.
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 th! e 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.”

DEDICATED TO YOU SISTER
Bernice Mabelyn Adams

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