A story: Imagine renting a rustic beamed cabin in a beautiful forest for your honeymoon. The setting is idyllic. The cabin is delightfully cozy. There’s only one problem: Every morning just at dawn, a determined and energetic woodpecker begins a loud rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat pounding on the roof.

The sound is so loud you can’t possibly sleep. It happens at dawn the second morning, again on the third, and the fourth, and so on. how would you handle it?

Many people say they’d try to get rid of the bird. Others might laugh it off and say, “Well, it just happens in the morning. Who cares? It’s your honeymoon. Enjoy it!”

But as it turns out, luckily, this incident with a wayward, noisy woodpecker happened to Gracie and Walter Lanz on their actual honeymoon. They were a happy, creative, playful couple and instead of complaining, they discovered an opportunity.

By the time they returned home, they not only had their bags in tow, they also had an idea: Their jarring experience inspired them to dream up the cartoon character,”Woody the Woodpecker.” Walter was the illustrator, Gracie the voice.

Many years later, when interviewed on their 50th wedding anniversary, Gracie said, “It was the best thing that ever happened to us.”

What a hopeful story! It shows us in a nutshell that sometimes the worst thing in our lives can become the best thing – if we can be open, playful, and creative about it, just as Gracie and Walter were.

This tale is inspiring me to think about the worst thing that I’m dealing with right now and how I can turn it into the best thing. It’s a tall order, but I think I’m up to the challenge. How about you? Have you ever experienced this magical transformation?If so, I’d love to hear about it! Write on!