My Magnificent Creation?

A luscious, golden brown cake rose to perfection. The oven light illuminated my magnificent creation.
“Alan, come look at my cake.”
He leaned over to see through the glass door. “That looks great,” he said with a smile.
My cake would help celebrate family birthdays at my parents’ home the following day.
Bzzzzzzzzz. I peeked through the oven door at my masterpiece before removing it. Carefully, I set the pan on the counter and prepared to turn it upside-down like the directions stated. Reluctantly, I turned it over and balanced my cake on a water bottle. Air began seeping from it like a tiny leak, but the shape still appeared impressive.
Never in years and years of making angel food cakes have I learned why you are instructed to cool it upside-down. However, I always do.
Not wanting to disturb the cake, I tiptoed to my office. Crash!
Sprawled at the back of the counter, an empty cake pan and water bottle laid helplessly. Like a deflated balloon, a compressed mass of formerly beautiful cake had collapsed.
With dismay, I stared at the mess and gingerly, laid it to rest on a cake plate. Could we still eat it? Should I make another one? Would the yellow cupcakes be enough? Should it just go in the trash? I stared silently.
“Alan, look at my cake,” I said forlornly.
“We can still eat it,” he said as he munched on small cake pieces from the pan. “It tastes good.”
His attitude helped me make the decision. No one had to eat it. There were other desserts. The whole situation would bring laughter.
He was right. The angel food flop disappeared quicker than the cupcakes. Everyone had plenty to eat, and we all laughed about the failure.
Enduring very difficult situations over the years and visiting third world countries have helped change my perspective on what is truly important. Some problems are not actually problems at all. A better perspective, with a sense of humor, can produce a magnificent creation out of a mess.