|
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. And 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 outside world.
The
window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man said. Ducks and
swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers
walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand
old trees graced the landscape, 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 the window portrayed it with descriptive
words. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: Why should he
have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see
anything ? It didn't seem fair. As the thought fermented the man felt
ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights,
his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to
brood and he found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window
- that thought now controlled his life.
Late
one night as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began
to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched
in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for
the button to call for help. Listening from across the room he never
moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse
running. In less than five minutes the coughing and choking stopped,
along with the sound of breathing. Now there was only silence, deathly
silence.
The
following morning the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths.
When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened
and called the hospital attendants to take it away -- no works, no fuss.
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. Finally,
he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly
turn to look out the window beside the bed.
It
faced a blank wall.
So
the morale of the story is: the pursuit of happiness is a matter of
choice . . . . . it is a positive attitude we consciously choose to
express. It is not a gift that gets delivered to our doorstep each morning,
nor does it come through the window. Our circumstances are to find the
things that make us joyful. If we wait for them to get just right, we
wil never find lasting joy. The pursuit of happiness is an inward journey.
Our minds are like programs, waiting for the code that will determine
behavior; like bank vaults awaiting our deposits. If we regularly deposit
positive, encouraging, and uplifting thoughts, if we continue to bite
our lips just before we begin to grumble and complain, if we shoot down
that seemingly harmless negative thought as it germinates, you will
find that there is much to rejoice about. |
