Toddler hugs pizza delivery guy out of the blue – mom later learns he had just lost his daughter

We do not give children enough credit. While they may not know everything adults do, there is something about a child's intuition that can surprise absolutely anyone. When a 2-year-old decided to hug the man delivering a pizza to his home, he didn't realize that the delivery man had recently lost his daughter. However, he ran up to him and gave him a tight hug anyway, ABC 6 reports. Perhaps we'll never know how children can sense even our deepest emotions when they are aware of so little, but maybe we can learn to appreciate their joy and positive spirit anyway.

The delivery man, Ryan Catterson, unexpectedly lost his 16-year-old daughter. The pain of losing a child, as you can imagine, can be quite crippling. It's a feat that Ryan could even go back to work after suffering such a loss. It was when he was overwhelmed with these emotions of loss and grief that he happened to deliver a pizza to a family in West Warwick, a town in Rhode Island. Ryan had already delivered the pizza and was just stepping off the front porch when the family's little boy went running over to him. The boy wrapped his arms around the delivery man and gave him a tight hug. Ryan reciprocated by bending down and hugging him right back. At the time, the boy's mom, Lindsey Sheely, ran out behind her son to stop him from bothering their guest.

It was only after she happened to chat with Ryan did she realize the hug was better than any tip she could have given him. Luckily, the adorable moment was caught on video through their doorbell security camera. Lindsey decided to share the sweet interaction on social media. Eventually, the video made its way to Ryan, who shared with her how much the exchange, as well as the clip, meant to him. "After losing my daughter this past week, it touched me because it was like she was there. It really just meant a lot to me. It's going to be tough not going to be able to hug her again," he said. "A lot of people are commenting that may have been her looking out for me. Those words mean something. Maybe she's there."

Ryan's daughter used to live with his former wife Danielle McCord in California. According to her, the little boy's actions are a lesson in empathy. She explained, "It's so easy to miss people and their internal pain. Even with our daughter, we didn't know her pain. I can't help but be grateful that someone saw his pain and could be there for him." Reportedly, Ryan and Danielle's daughter struggled with mental health issues growing up. For Ryan, the moment he shared with the toddler lasted only a few seconds, but he said he would treasure it forever, just like he does the memory of his daughter. Ryan and Danielle have initiated a GoFundMe for those interested in contributing toward funeral expenses. If you'd like to help them out, click here. As the bereaved parents try to cope with their loss, it's heartwarming to know there are kind souls out there—even if they're only 2 years old!—who can nurture and heal our hearts.

This article originally appeared 4 years ago.