In a message dated 4/5/99 7:51:52 AM Eastern Daylight Time, ANASAZIFLP writes:
> 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."
>
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From: ANASAZIFLP(AT)aol.com
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Date: Mon, 5 Apr 1999 07:51:52 EDT
Subject: Fwd: the park
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Date: Sun, 4 Apr 1999 22:49:27 -0700 (PDT)
From: Kiona Leah <theonlykiona(AT)yahoo.com>
Subject: Fwd: the park
To: Glynis Astier <duchess(AT)coolmail.zzn.com>,
Christos Balis <alikewise(AT)aol.com>,
Frances and Bill <TOPIC-2000(AT)erols.com>, Jenn Bowie <bowiej(AT)rpi.edu>,
"Mike " Brown <brownm4(AT)rpi.edu>,
"John P. Cloninger" <j.p.cloninger(AT)worldnet.att.net>,
Susan DeKom Fones <RNBLOVR(AT)aol.com>,
"The\(Barb\) Freemans" <gary-barb-freeman(AT)worldnet.att.net>,
Satoshi Katsimoto <katsus(AT)rpi.edu>, Tracey Kielty <zoocow(AT)yahoo.com>,
Suzanne Lacey <SUZLACEY(AT)worldnet.att.net>,
Candace Lamoree <CJLAMOREE(AT)juno.com>,
Mick MacKenzie <MacHumor(AT)aol.com>,
Corrine Naranjo <Corinasing(AT)aol.com>,
Sandy Nelson <SNelson991(AT)aol.com>,
Leah and Frank Pierce <ANASAZIFLP(AT)aol.com>,
Laura Raucher <lraucher(AT)darkwing.uoregon.edu>,
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Bill Sanda <bsanda(AT)earthlink.net>, Robin Thomas <thomar3(AT)rpi.edu>,
"Erika " Zamek <zameke(AT)rpi.edu>, "Donna " Zinetti <daz27(AT)juno.com>
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Here is a pretty one about how we can touch each other's lives in such
simple ways.
Love and LIghts,
Kiona
> 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."
===
Kiona Leah
TheOnlyKiona(AT)yahoo.com
http://homepages.infoseek.com/~caldwellcelluloid (business)
http://homepages.infoseek.com/~caldwellcelluloid/kiona.htm (personal)
"I can learn to compromise anything but my desires,
I can learn to get along with all the things I can't explain"
_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free (AT)yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
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