Two seriously ill men shared a hospital room.
One man could sit up for an hour each afternoon, while the other remained flat on his back.
The bed by the window belonged to the man who could sit up. He described the outside world to his roommate—the park with a lovely lake, ducks and swans on the water, children sailing model boats, and young lovers strolling amidst colorful flowers.
The man by the window painted vivid pictures with his words.
One day, he described a passing parade, even though the other man couldn’t hear the band.
Weeks passed, and then one morning, the nurse found the man by the window had passed away peacefully in his sleep.
Surviving man asked to be moved next to the window.
When he finally looked out, he saw only a blank wall.
Perplexed, he asked the nurse why his deceased roommate had described such wonderful scenes.
Nurse revealed that the man by the window was blind—he had painted those pictures to encourage his roommate’s spirit.
