The Window

Hi I'm Mia Seymour, and the story I am sharing is one that makes me think about how I act everyday. The storyteller never told me the name of this story, however she described it like this: There were two nursing home patients sharing a room.  One man, sitting near the window, was allowed to sit up for an hour each afternoon because it helped him breath better, while the other had to lay on his back all the time. The men would converse for hours everyday, spanning topics like their family or their jobs. Yet for the one hour the first man could sit up and look out the window, their whole conversation changed. He would start describing everything he saw outside of the window to the other man, who, as a result of laying down all the time, was shut out of society. The man sitting by the window would describe everything he saw-the people, the nature, celebrations, and anything that passed by. One morning, a nurse came in to find that this man, who gave life to the one laying on his back everyday, had died peacefully in his sleep. Some time after his death, the man who had been on his back asked if he could move to the bed near the window. The nurse moved him and he excitedly, yet painfully, rose up on his elbows and took his first peek outside the window. What he saw dumbfounded him. The window looked out onto a blank wall. The patient asked the nurse what would have compelled the man to create a beautiful world outside the window. The nurse simply replied, "Maybe he wanted to encourage you."
         I take the story for more than this, and see it as a perfect example showing how greatly we can affect others. The man near the window had a choice whether or not he could give the other man hope and brighten up his day. We have this choice too, through what we say and our actions. We can either ignite or extinguish someone's spirit. We have the opportunity to be optimistic and share positive thoughts with others. This story inspires me to be a better person and brighten up other people's lives.