THE MAN IN THE NEXT BAD
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 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. 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
descriptive words.
Days, weeks and months 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 besides
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 the
things you have that money can’t buy.
“Yesterday is a history. Tomorrow is a mistery.
Today is a gift, that is why it is called Present .”
UNIVERSITAS GUNADARMA
www.gunadarma.ac.id
www.studentsite.gunadarma.ac.id
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