I hope you enjoy, even if you've heard it before!  I surely needed it!

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.

Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could situp, 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 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 real world outside.

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:

"Today is a gift, that's why it is called the present."