What you see and what you choose to see are two different things.
These two men were sharing a hospital ward, both gravely ill.
As part of his treatment, the one man closest to the window could sit up every afternoon for an hour in his bed. The other man was only allowed to lie flat on his back, day, and night.
The two men had long conversations about anything and everything. They shared stories about their families, their wives, children, and their grandchildren. They spoke about their work and retirement. They discussed family holidays and which parts of the country they’d visited.
For one hour every afternoon, the man by the window would describe all the things he could see outside the window to his roommate. The roommate began to live for that hour each day. Hearing of all the lively activity and the beauty of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a lake lined by weeping willow trees. Ducks with their ducklings swam on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked along the flower-lined pathways arm in arm, and in the distance, you could see the city skyline.
As he described these scenes in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room closed his eyes. He lay there vividly imagining the scenes he described.
This went on for weeks and months.
One morning, a nurse found the lifeless body of the man by the window. He had died peacefully in his sleep. The other man was saddened by his friend’s passing and missed his companionship. As soon as it seemed appropriate, he asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to comply and moved him.
He summoned all the strength he could muster to prop himself up on one elbow. He lifted his head to take his first look at the real world outside the window.
There was a blank wall.
He was horrified and called the nurse. He asked, “Why would he describe such wonderful things outside the window that don’t exist?”
The nurse said, “The man was blind. Maybe he wanted to encourage you, in his way.”
You can live your life in Kodachrome or Monochrome. It is up to you. It’s available to you. It’s a choice you can make that will change your life. If you’re a person that lives life in black and white why not try living your life in full colour instead.
When we’re grateful for our privileges — and we are privileged — we can see a rainbow of colours.
Have an awesome weekend and please be generous! 😄
As always, thanks for reading 🙏
