After a year of battling multiple illnesses and lots of reflection, 琉璃神社's Gloria-Jean Seymour is ready to make her mark around town once again.
In 2018, Seymour created Dine and Chat, an event for single seniors to get out and find friends in 琉璃神社. Over six years, it saw great success, but Seymour had to retire in 2024 due to illness.
After a year of recovery and reflection, Seymour is healthy and ready to come out of retirement in what she calls her "golden years" by bringing people together once again.
"You have to have a purpose, it's finding the purpose, that's the hard part,鈥� said Seymour. 鈥淲hat's left? Making connections. That's what the world's about, is making connections, and keeping that conversation going.鈥�
She鈥檚 once again looking to find seniors in town for weekly get-togethers and this time calling it, 鈥楾he Chat Connection.鈥�
While running Dine and Chat, Seymour had up to 350 members at a time, but during this reincarnation, she鈥檚 going to take it a little easier.
"I've resurfaced and I'm ready to go again, but by keeping it very simple,鈥� said Seymour. "I mean, at one point I even had a group going to Mexico and that's really cool, but it was a lot.鈥�
During the last year, Seymour did a lot of reflecting on her recovery and was determined to get back healthy and connecting seniors in the Central Okanagan.
Additionally, she made a list to live by, for not only her but for everyone:
- Stay active/keep moving
- Get a hobby
- Stay connected with others
- Take part in activities with others
- Volunteer
- Keep learning new things
- Meditate
- Get a pet鈥� or two.
- Write a memoir
- Be a good listener
Seymour doesn鈥檛 have any children or grandchildren, but stayed true to her own advice (on top of staying busy) she has adopted a couple of cats in the recent year.
鈥淭hey keep me busy,鈥� said Seymour. 鈥淭here's a lot of work involved, but they give me so much satisfaction and so much company. It's given me an opportunity to nurture and to love.鈥�
Between her cats and Chat Connection, Seymour is also restarting a couple of other ventures including making and selling hats at the Farmers Market, which is something she began 13 years ago but stopped in 2018 when Dine and Chat gained popularity and took more of her time. She also has started making scarves and sold them at the winter market at the Parkinson Recreation Centre this past season.
While battling illness, she sold her house and moved into a new condo in the Landmark District, a perfect area for her to sell hats again at the Farmers Market just a couple of blocks away now.
"I took a break and now that it's so convenient, it's just right in my palm,鈥� said Seymour. "I'd like to make that my home because it's family. I love socializing, I love talking to people."
During her move, Seymour found a piece of her past that she鈥檚 bringing back.
Ten years ago, the senior created a children鈥檚 colour/activity book about love with all her own drawings that was published. When she first released the book, she said it 鈥渟old like hotcakes."
"I noticed that I had a box of these books. I was like 'I think I better bring it back',鈥� said Seymour. "I'm just going to get my more copies.鈥�
While having her hat stand at the winter market, she added the activity books after she found them and they started selling again, which included selling them to two teachers.
鈥淚t's just teaching little ones and reminding the adults of what love really is,鈥� said Seymour about the book. "Just give from the heart.鈥�
She added she鈥檒l have her stand at the farmers market up and running soon after she gets more activity books made and makes more hats.
Her busy schedule is not impacted by her age, with Seymour saying as she gets older she learns to live with it.
"I'm noticing more and more people are saying 鈥楧o you need any help? Are you okay, dear?鈥� 'Yes, I'm okay,鈥� said Seymour. "But I have to learn how to say 'yes, help me up those stairs,鈥� You need to learn when you need help as well.鈥�
As for The Chat Connection, Seymour hasn鈥檛 decided on a set day of the week for each outing just yet.
"I'm just visiting different restaurants that I feel that seniors can afford, that's economical,鈥� said Seymour.
The first Chat Connection event takes place on Friday, May 2 with limited availability. Advanced reservations through Seymour are required.
"I am blessed that I鈥檓 able to once again encourage folks to come out and enjoy our lives to the fullest with the love of one another, chatting it up over dinner outings,鈥� said Seymour. 鈥淲e need one another to spread love among us, for our healthy well-being.鈥�
Are you out there? If so, and interested, you are invited and joining our new Chat Connection, once a week for a dine and chat for a dine out with like-minded single seniors, 65 plus, to curb your loan times and social isolation. This is not a dating ad and memberships are not required. It's just that simple meeting new friends with their stories to share and look forward to uplifting positive chatter. We need one another more than ever these days during all the global uncertainty. Let's chat soon by calling Gloria-Jean at 250-763-6495 for more details of our first spring dine out by April the 12th to reserve your attendance of dine with us as a single senior group gathering. Thank you for your interested response. Looking forward to hearing from you. From you with warmest regards, Gloria-Jean.
