Recently, my almost-two-year-old has taken to carrying things around in bags, buckets or bowls.

One of her favorite things to do is to go to the kitchen, pull the airtight container of Froot Loops cereal off the countertop or pantry shelf if it’s in reach, and pour some “Loops,” as she calls them, into a bowl. She then carries them ever-so-carefully down the long hallway back to our family room for a snack.

Nothing compares to the smile on her face and the self-confidence she has when she makes it to the coffee table without spilling them.

Last week, I followed her down the hallway with bated breath, watching her complete this task.

“Be careful, Bean,” I told her. “You can do it.”

About halfway down the hall, she got distracted by a stack of books. The bowl she was holding tilted to the side and a few Loops fell to the floor.

“Uh-Oh!” she said, a look of frustration on her cherub face.

She picked them up and handed them to me, one by one, about half of the loops remaining in the bowl. Then, she carefully picked up her bowl and commenced walking once again.

She got to the doorway and, in her excitement at making it that far with only one spill, jumped up and down, sending her precious Loops rolling in all directions across the hardwood.

I watched her for a moment as her little lip began to quiver and disappointment filled her face. Then, I knelt down beside her and helped her pick up the fallen Loops, one by one.

I gave my baby a big hug and we went to the kitchen for another bowl full of Loops. She tried again, this time with success.

Reflecting on this small moment of everyday life made me think about a bigger picture. How many times in our own lives are we trying to carry all the Loops, whatever that represents for us?

How many times have we spilled them, and stared down helplessly with frustration? How many times have we wished someone was there to help us pick up and start over?

And most importantly, we should think about the last opportunity we had to be a helper to someone else. Consider whether you knelt down beside them or stood there while they crumbled.

Whether it’s as simple as a toddler learning to carry a bowl of Froot Loops cereal 30 feet without spilling it, or something more complex (work, life, relationships), there’s a lesson to be learned about grace and about caring for one another.