Sometimes the smallest acts of kindness are the ones that leave you the most delighted.

Fresh out of cold meds, I ran to the store earlier to load up on a new batch. I realized I was also out of my favorite cereal, Special K Chocolatey Delight (if they’re reading, yes, I would love a free box — or forty).

I shuffled down the cereal aisle and was shocked to see that of all the varieties they carried, mine was the one with two boxes left. On the top shelf. And both boxes were at the very back, way beyond out of reach.

The store was quiet, save for a strangely excited crowd huddled around an in-store sausage demonstration (as in, how to cook it). Weird.

The aisle was empty, and I wasn’t about to go home Delight-less. Hm, what to do.

Climb the shelves? Probably not a good idea with the newly repaired meniscus.

Find a store employee? Meh, not really in the mood to hunt someone down.

Hmm…think. Think. Think.

Oh, wait — what’s this? A handy bundle-o-spatulii (yep, pluralized!) for sale, hanging off the shelf immediately behind me.

A plan began to brew.

I grabbed the bundle, which really only extended my reach by another 10 inches or so, and tippy-toed as best I could with my outstretched spatula-arm, trying my best to at least poke the box hard enough so that it would fall over and into my clutches…muahahaha!

Um, yeah. Anywho…

The plan wasn’t working. I pondered my remaining options: find a store employee (still too logical a solution), find another brand (but by this time I was hell-bent on getting those boxes) or leave empty-handed.

While I tried to decide, my eyes darted back and forth from the neighborly and fully-stocked Chex, to the Cheerios which mocked me, down to the floor, then back up to the out-of-reach Chocolatey Delight.

The spatulii and I tried once more.

We failed.

From around the corner came my knight in shining armor. Perhaps he had grown weary of the sausage demonstration, or perhaps he was also in the market for some Special K. Either way, he must’ve seen my pathetic attempts and serious pondering.

“Do you need help?” he asked.

I pointed at the two boxes out of reach. He looked defeated without even trying. And then I presented him with the spatulii.

He grinned and nodded affirmatively.

With a quick motion, he stretched, whacked the box and dragged it toward the edge of the shelf. He brought the box down.

“One?” he asked.

“Um…two?” I sheepishly replied.

He dutifully retrieved the other box and handed it to me, then went on his way.

Tonight I am thankful for the kindness of my grocery store knight who could’ve easily passed me by. He was a nice reminder that sometimes it’s the little things — holding the door for someone, letting someone know they dropped something or getting something off a shelf for someone — that hold the sweetest delights.