A little lift for the day.

When the heart weeps for what it has lost, the
spirit laughs for what it has found.
- Sufi aphorism

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.
One man was allowed to sit up in is 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 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 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.

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 the man was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take
his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy
of seeing it for himself. 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 happened to the 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 of the things you have that money can't buy.