There are moments in life when we hardly can find the right words to convey how we feel, while a hug is the fastest way to direct heart-to-heart connection.
In West Warwick, Rhode Island, 2-year-old Cohen decided to chase after a pizza delivery man, Ryan Catterson, and give him a hug, without knowing how significant this little gesture of kindness would be.
More info:Lindsey Sheely
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Lindsey Sheely shared a video with her 2-year-old son hugging a pizza delivery man, Ryan Catterson, who recently lost his 16-year-old daughter
Image credits:Lindsey Sheely
“Last 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! We thought it was so sweet and funny, then realized that our doorbell might have caught the interaction on camera, and it did!! I hope it gives you a laugh and warms your heart like it did for us,” Lindsey wrote the message at the time.
The woman didn’t know at first that Ryan Catterson had recently lost his 16-year-old daughter. She only discovered this heartbreakingnewsafter sharing the footage on her Instagram stories.
“Update: little did we know what Cohen’s hug to this stranger would mean. Someone showed Ryan the video I posted to my IG, so he messaged me, and I found him on FB so he could share the video. Through this, we found out that Ryan unexpectedly lost his daughter recently, and that hug from Cohen was a little blessing from God. I believe in divine appointments and know that Ryan was the one to deliver our pizza for a reason,” the woman added to her message next to the video earlier published on Facebook.
Ryan’s daughter lived inCaliforniawith his ex-wife. The girl had been struggling with her mental health and passed away unexpectedly, leaving an unbearably huge pain for all those who loved her.
“After losing my daughter this past week, it touched me because it was like she was there,” said Ryan. “It really just meant a lot to me. It’s going to be tough not going to be able to hug her again. I had been telling my kids and the whole family how much I needed hugs before they came and then that sweet little boy gave me one.”
A simple gesture of kindness from a little kid meant so much to Ryan since he won’t be able to hug his daughter ever again
Image credits:Ryan Catterson
According to the newest National Institutes of Health (NIH)datareport, mental illness is common in the United States and approximately 57.8 million adults live with some form of it. The most prevalent are various anxiety disorders (19.1%), which can include panic disorders,socialanxiety disorders, phobias and more.
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) states that major mental illnesses rarely appear ‘out of the blue,’ therefore it’s very important to learn about developing symptoms, or early warning signs, and taking action.
If several of the following symptoms occur, APA suggests seeking help from a mental health professional.
“Just as with other medical illnesses, early intervention can make acrucialdifference in preventing what could become a serious illness,” APA said in their article about warning signs of mental illness.
Image source:University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences
Image credits:CBS 17
The therapist Virginia Satir is known worldwide for her famous saying that “We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.”
2-year-old Cohen gave Ryan just one, yet it was warm and sunny enough to soothe and brighten up the darkest parts of his heavy heart that suffered from the deepest pain of loss.
People on the internet shared heartwarming messages about Ryan’s loss and 2-year-old Cohen’s significant gesture of kindness
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