Wonderful things outside this window

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 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 colour 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 colour 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 details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by.
Although the other man could not hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.
Days, weeks and months 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 besides 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.'

Think about water safety now and be prepared



It may be cold but now is the time to be thinking about getting the skills you and your kids are going to need this year. Drowning is far too common in New Zealand and simply hoping and praying its not you and yours is not really enough. In the video below I lay out few tips to help keep you safe on the water.

Below are some sound ideas from KidsHealth:
"Buddy up!"  Always swim with a partner.
"Get skilled" Know some life saving skills, they may just come in handy.
"Know your limits" If you're not a good swimmer or you're just learning to swim, don't go in water that's so deep you can't touch the bottom.
"Swim in safe areas only" It's a good idea to swim only in places that are supervised by a lifeguard.
"Be careful about diving" Only diving in areas that are known to be safe, such as the deep end of a supervised pool.
 Read more...

The Sun