A young woman climbs the stairs out front of her mother’s house on Collier Street, just as a reporter happens by.
Holding a brightly coloured bouquet of flowers, she surprises her mom, who is in the front room of the house, on Mother's Day.
“Oh, they are so beautiful, I wasn’t expecting it,” Teresita Fundora, 62, says from the top step, holding her gift.
“She deserves it — it is also her birthday today,” Monique Colls, 31, says with a big smile. “She means the world to me.”
She has been her mom’s caregiver for about 10 years now. They live together in the house.
“It means the world to be able to take care of her, because she took care of me for God knows how long. She’s a great mom,” explains Colls.
“She’s so kind and so funny, but mostly kind. She says hi to everybody. That’s what I like about her the most. She leads with love,” she adds.
Meanwhile, across the bay at the Mill Creek Care Centre on Hurst Drive, two elderly women share a few words on a wooden bench on the centre’s lawn.
Pat McFarlane, 80, has been living at Mill Creek for about four years.
She thinks Mother’s Day is a lovely thing to celebrate, especially when her children live in Barrie.
“I’m lucky, as both my kids live in town, so I see a lot of them,” MacFarlane says. “I feel sorry for my friends whose kids are overseas or not around.”
She spoke with both of her kids today and will be joining one of them for dinner tonight. “I’m one of the lucky ones.”
Her friend, Nancy Foerstel, has been a resident at the home for five years, and enjoys the holiday as a celebration of memories and happy times.
“We celebrated yesterday with our daughter and her husband in Huntsville, but I’ve had quite a few emails from friends and family today, and our daughter lives in Windsor and I’ll be talking to her this evening,” she says.
Hearing from her kids on Mother’s Day means quite a lot to her.
“I love it,” she exclaims, “but you know what, they not only fuss on Mother's Day, they make every day special, really.”
Back across the bay again, a family is walking back to their vehicles after a hearty meal on Dunlop Street to celebrate Mother’s Day.
After being stopped by a reporter to comment on what their mothers mean to them, Brennan Lauria, 8, describes his mom as “very kind, and she’s always in a good mood.”
His sister, Everly, who is 6, appreciates her mother “because she helps me a lot with school work.”
Seven-year-old Olive enjoyed the time with her mom as they went on a walk “and we went to the parkland, and we just went to Flying Monkeys (for lunch).
And how much does she love her mother?
“A lot!” Olive exclaims. “Because every day she snuggles with me, and I like playing house with her.”
Their grandmother, Judy Byrne, shared in the love as well, of course.
“It’s great. A wonderful celebration,” she says. “I love to be with them. They bring out the kid in me.”
