Brick Wall & Beautiful Scenery

There were two men, both were seriously ill, and occupied in the same room in a hospital.

One man was allowed to sit up on his bed for an hour each afternoon, so that he can drain the fluid in his lungs. Next to his bed there was a window, the only one available in the room.

But the other man had to spend all his time laying flat on his back.

Each day both men talked for hours. They spoke about their wives, jobs, homes, their involvement in military service and where they had been on vacations.

Every afternoon, the man who stayed next to the window would kill time by telling his roommate about all the things he can see beyond the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those an hour period where his world would be broadened and enlightened by all the activity and colour of the outside world.

The views from the window were described beautifully, with a presence of blue lake where ducks and swans swimming happily on the water and children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked while holding hands with the colourful flowers grew scattered around the ground and the stunning city skyline could be seen beyond the horizon line.

As the man next to the window described all the exquisite details, the other 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 could not hear the band, he could see it in his eyes as his friend described it beautifully. Days, weeks and months passed.

One morning, a nurse arrived to bring water for their bath found that the man by the window had passed away peacefully in his sleep. She was sad and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it was appropriate, the other man asked the nurse whether it is possible for him to move next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure that the man was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, the man propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look on the real world outside. He strained slowly to turn looking out the window next to his bed.


It faced an empty brick wall.

The man asked the nurse what had compelled his deceased roommate to describe such beautiful things outside his window. The nurse replied 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 someone else happy, despite your own miserable conditions. 

Shared grief is half the sorrow, but when happiness is shared, it is doubled.

If you want to feel rich, just count the things that you have which money couldn't buy.