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 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 he 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 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 of the things you have that money can't buy. "Today is a gift, that's why it is called the present."

 平凡故事：住院的两个重病人和一扇窗户

 
         两位患重病的男人合住在医院的同一个病房里。 其中一个男人每天午后可以允许在他的床上坐起来一个小时，以便帮助排出来自他肺部的液体。 他的床紧邻着房间里唯一的窗户。 另一个男病人则必须整天卧床平躺着。 于是，这两个男人只好在床上躺着聊天儿长达数小时之久。 他们谈到他们的老婆、他们的家庭、他们的工作以及他们的服兵役经历。每天午后，当住在靠窗户病床的男人可以坐起来的时候, 他会对他旁边的室友尽情地描述起他透过窗户看到的所有新鲜事物。

         躺在另一个病床上的男人，渐渐地开始依赖于这仅有的一小时的时光，他的世界也因为窗外的所有活动和景色而变得宽阔、生动起来并富有趣味。 透过窗户能俯看一个公园，还有一个可爱的小湖。 当孩子们玩耍着他们的模型船的时候，鸭子和天鹅则在湖面上戏水。年轻的恋人们手牵着手漫步在彩虹般的百花园之中。 壮观的苍天老树则更使这风景如画，而且望眼看去，不远处，城市的摩天视野尽收眼底。 每逢靠窗户的男人精细地描述着这些美丽的景象时，在房间另一边的男人会闭上他的眼睛，在脑海里想像着这生动的一幅幅画面。。。

        在一个温暖的午后，靠近窗户的男人描述着窗外正经过的一个游行队伍。虽然另一个男人无法听到乐队声音 －－ 然而他可以根据靠窗先生的绘声绘色的描述，充分展开他的想像力，如同亲临现场一般。

        数个星期过去了。 一天早晨，护士照旧为他们带来了洗澡水，不料竟发现靠近窗户的男病人的身体已经冰凉， 他已经在睡梦中平静地死去。。。护士很悲伤，而且叫来医院工作人员取走了尸体。 虽然剩下的另一个男人略感不适当，可是，他还是忍不住问护士他是否可以被换到靠近窗户的床位。 护士很高兴地给他换了床位，并且确定他很舒适了， 便留下他独自一人了。他慢慢地， 痛苦地，用一个肘子支撑起身子试图第一次了望外面的世界，并且他为自己终于将亲眼目睹外面的世界而欢喜。 于是他艰难地缓慢地转过来往窗户外看去，然而，他只见到一面白墙。 男人问护士如何解释他的已故室友曾经为他描述的窗外如此令人惊奇的事物？ 护士告诉了这个男人，他的已故室友原本就是个盲人，甚至连墙壁都无法看见。 她说， “也许他只是想要鼓励你吧 。”

结束语。 。 。 。

         从这个故事中，我们得到的启示就是不管我们自己的情形如何,　能够使他人快乐就会给自己带来巨大的快乐。悲伤如果被分享，悲伤则减半,　但是，当快乐被分享, 就变成了双倍的快乐。 如果你想要感觉到富有，那么你就细数一下你所拥有的用金钱难以买到的事物吧！“今天是一个礼物, 这就是它为什么叫做礼物（present）。 ”

         故事讲完了，我由衷地敬佩那位盲人，他虽然双目失明，可是，他一天一天地编制着美丽的故事，在他心里蕴藏着多么丰富多彩的世界啊！ 他把光明与希望赠与他人，他把快乐与温暖送给他人，他有一颗金子般可贵的心灵，平凡但是伟大。。。

         希望我们每一个人心里都有一扇明亮的窗户，永远看到光明与希望，珍惜今天，珍惜我们所拥有的一切。“赠人玫瑰，手留余香”，在享受爱的同时，也把爱心奉献给这世界。。。

(By Lunamia 2008 Spring)