What do You See?

 

Two men were seriously ill. They occupied the same room in the hospital. One of them lay in the bed near the only window in their room. Every day he was allowed to spend some time sitting up in his bed to help drain the fluid from his lungs. The other man was forced to spend all his days flat on his back.

They talked a lot about their lives, families, jobs, vacations. Every time, when the first man was sitting by the window, he described in detail all that he saw outside the window. His roommate always looked forward to those moments, when his world was broadened and brightened up by the world outside.

Amazing views of a park with a beautiful lake could be seen from the window of their room. Children delightfully played among ducks and swans. Couples walked arm in arm among colorful flowers. Also the stunning city skyline could be seen.

While the man by the window thoroughly described all that was happening outside the window, his roommate would close his eyes and imagine all the beautiful scenes of life that were described to him.

One morning, the man whose bed was near the window, died peacefully in his sleep. His roommate was very sad.

After some time, when the nurse came to visit him, he asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse agreed and kindly made the switch. When she left, the man slowly and painfully propped himself up on one elbow and took the first look at the world outside. He was stunned. The window faced a blank wall.

When the nurse came to visit him the next time, he told her about all the beautiful things outside the window that his roommate described to him. The nurse replied that his late roommate was a blind man. He probably just tried to encourage you, she said.

What do you see? OR better still, what do you CHOOSE to see?