A pizza delivery man recently got much more than just a tip after delivering food to a family in Rhode Island.
As TODAY reported, the family’s 2-year-old son ran outside to hug the man responsible for delivering his dinner, a seemingly small gesture that turned out to be a monumental act of kindness.
Last week, Lindsey Sheely shared a Facebook post describing the sweet moment that was shared between the delivery man and her son.
“Saturday night, when we got our pizza (and ranch) delivered, Cohen ran out to hug the delivery guy and tried to give him a kiss, too,” she wrote . “We thought it was so sweet and funny. Little did we know what Cohen’s hug to this stranger would mean.”
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Sheely later remembered her doorbell camera and realized it had probably recorded the touching interaction.
The video , which she has since posted on Facebook, shows the delivery man handing off the pizza and turning to leave back to his car. However, he’s stopped when little Cohen runs out of the house with his arms open for a hug.
The two then share an embrace as the man smiles and later waves good-bye.
The video was uploaded to Sheely’s Instagram story, where it somehow managed to pass through all the right people to finally reach the delivery man himself.
Sheely learned that the man’s name is Ryan Catterson, and the two began talking online after one of his friends showed him the clip of him receiving a big hug from Cohen on the Sheely family’s porch.
“He messaged me, and I found him on [Facebook] so he could share the video,” Sheely explained.
However, soon after she began talking with Catterson, this mom realized just how incredible her son’s innocent hug truly was.
As it turns out, Catterson’s 16-year-old daughter, Alyssa, unexpectedly passed away last week after struggling with mental health issues.
Understandably, the grieving father was incredibly moved by little Cohen’s sweet gesture.
“After losing my daughter this past week, it just touched me because it was like she was there, you know, and it just meant a ton to me,” Catterson told WLNE .
“It truly felt like my daughter and the universe came together, and gave me a hug of support that I really needed in that moment.”
After learning of Catterson’s loss, Sheely said she believes her son’s hug was “a little blessing from God.”
“There is no practical reason that Cohen hugged the delivery guy,” she told TODAY . “I think God just uses the innocent love of children to bring hope and light where He knows it’s needed.”
Sheely’s post has since gone viral, with over 100,000 views on Facebook alone.
It’s also since been shared to her Instagram account nearly 9,000 other people have watched Cohen’s impromptu hug with the grieving Catterson.
“I believe in divine appointments and know that Ryan was the one to deliver our pizza for a reason,” Sheely wrote on Instagram. “Please keep him and his family in prayer!”
h/t: TODAY