Two women sat in Toronto homeowner’s outdoor chairs so he brought them a snack

by Nisean Lorde for Post City Posted: June 26, 2024 Photo: Courtesy Carlo Parentela/@carlop_ca (X)

When Toronto homeowner Carlo Parentela spotted two elderly women sitting in deck chairs outside his Toronto home, his reaction was probably not what you’d expect. Instead of ordering the women off his property, the 54-year-old allowed them to relax and enjoy their conversation.

He even brought them tea.

“These older women that walk by regularly sat down on their own on my chairs. They’re enjoying my flowers, so I brought them some fruit tea and honey to enjoy the afternoon. Weren’t they pleasantly surprised,” he wrote in a post on X alongside a video of the charming ladies.

In an interview with Newsweek, Parentela said that he had seen the women go past his house before, but this was the first time they sat in his outdoor chairs to have a chat and admire his garden.

“I liked that they were enjoying the flowers, that’s what they’re for,” Parentela told the publication. “When I saw them slowly sit down to get a little rest and enjoy the scenery, I thought this is their time to just walk around and take in the day.”

Parentela said that some tea with honey was the best way to brighten their day.

“I thought some tea would hit the spot, so I went with fruit tea, since it was a summer day, and I took out some honey if they wanted to sweeten it up. They were totally surprised, almost with their mouths open, not sure if I was sincere or not.”

The women sat for about an hour and left with smiles on their faces.

“What a great feeling, I was the one that received the gift of giving, not them it seems,” Parentela said, adding in a recent TikTok post that the women even left him a thank you note the next day.

Since Toronto residents are somewhat known for being some of the unhappiest people in the country, people across social media are praising the homeowner for how he handled this situation, heralding the incident as a reminder that people should show more kindness — or at least pause before reacting with anger.

“I love this so much!!! We need more of this,” one Twitter user wrote.

Parentela also shared the video on TikTok. It has more than 800,000 views and thousands of comments as of publication, with many noting how kind Canadians are.

“THIS IS WHAT CANADA IS ABOUT. [A]nd [I’m] sure they cleaned up after themselves and thanked you kindly. [E]verybody won,” one user wrote. Another noted, “This is why Canadians are so awesome. If that was the US, the police would have been called!”

“And that my friends is how we should act as humans,” another user wrote.

“This is lovely. And also a direct result of the removal of city owned benches and seating. Thank you for caring for the roaming Nanas!” One user stated.

As for Parentela, he said that he believes the video will break down walls when it comes to being kind to strangers, and remind people that what they do for others, they’re also doing for themselves.

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