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KEANU REEVES A QUIET FORCE

THE Lp(a) FACTOR

PEPTIDES: WHAT’S THE BUZZ?

TEXOMA AREA SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

David Plyler

The Mayor Who Helped Reshape Sherman

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

Living Well A Health & Lifestyle Magazine for THRIVING ADULTS

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

BUILDING A LIFE, AND A CITY, THAT LAST

s summer eases into fall, it always feels like a fresh start around here. It’s a good time to check in on your health, your habits and the people who help you stay well, and this issue is filled with exactly that. On this month’s cover is David Plyler, a familiar name in Sherman and a driving force behind the city’s next chapter. A former mayor whose fingerprints are all over the massive Highway 75 reconstruction, Plyler recently earned TxDOT’s Road Hand Award, the agency’s highest honor for someone outside its ranks. In “Building Sherman’s Next Era” (page 8), he reflects on the coalition-building behind a $750 million project and what it takes to move a whole community forward. For readers who sit in that Highway 75 traffic every day, it’s a rare look at how the big things actually get done. Our celebrity spotlight this month lands on Keanu Reeves, an actor who has spent decades proving you can reach the top of a loud industry without ever raising your voice. Known as much for his quiet generosity and hard-won resilience as for his films, Reeves is a living reminder that strength and gentleness aren’t opposites. You’ll find “A Quiet Force” on page 24. From there we turn to a heart number many people have never heard of. In “The Lp(a) Factor” (page 18), writer Patrick Lane explains why this largely inherited marker has cardiologists paying attention, and why the newest guidelines suggest measuring it just once in your lifetime, even if you already do everything right. And because the word seems to be everywhere lately, we asked a simple question: what’s all the buzz about peptides? In “Peptides: What’s the Buzz?” (page 38), Julia Porter separates the real science from the social media noise, starting with what these tiny building blocks actually are and why the word “peptide” alone tells you very little. However you spend the season, we hope these pages leave you a little more informed and a little more inspired. Thank you for reading, and for letting LIVING WELL be part of your day. Live well, Sam & Spring Houston

ON THE COVER: David Plyler and Ross Perot Jr. at the Mayor Roundtable. Sherman Municipal Ballroom. 4 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

PRESIDENT & CEO SAM HOUSTON VICE PRESIDENT & CFO SPRING HOUSTON EDITOR, FEATURE WRITER & SOCIAL MEDIA SONDRA BARR ART DIRECTOR VANESSA FRYER ACCOUNTS MANAGER JENNIFER BEAVERS WEBSITE LYDIA ROGERS ADVERTISING & SALES TEXAS: Denton County, Dallas County, Collin County TEXAS & OKLAHOMA: Texoma Area

WRITE TO US: Tell us who you would like to see featured on the cover, or what subjects you would like covered in upcoming editions of LIVING WELL MAGAZINE at info@livingwellmag.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS & CUSTOMER INQUIRIES

Houstons of Dallas Publishing, Inc. 102 E. Broadway, #901 Prosper, TX 75078 www.LivingWellmag.com Phone: (214) 507-1000 Fax: (855) 248-2132 LIVING WELL MAGAZINE is a source for quality educational articles on living a healthy, vibrant life. Our focus is on connecting our readers with the latest information on a host of topics relevant to their evolving life. From cutting edge medical news and procedures to top-tier financial, legal and lifestyle information. Connecting readers to leading medical and business professionals in their community in Texas and Oklahoma. All advertisements in this Magazine are placed by third parties. We do not control or endorse either the advertisements or their content. Further, we do not manufacture, sell, distribute or provide any of the goods or services advertised herein. We hereby expressly disclaim any liability with respect to information or goods and services contained herein. We further disclaim any and all warranties or representations, express or implied, with respect to such information, goods or services, including any warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose (it being understood that we do not acknowledge that any such warranty exists). We are not liable or responsible for any loss, injury, damage, or harm that you may suffer as a result of the information contained in any advertisement or goods or services contained herein. “We” refers to the name of this Magazine, and all versions of Living Well Magazine as well as Houstons of Dallas Publishing, Inc.

CONTENTS

AND MUCH MORE...

Have You Received the Best Advice?

The Lifestyle Shift

Not Just a Job

Digital Eye Strain

Don’t Know What to Say During Hospice Care

Is Fear Keeping You from Better Hearing?

Who Should Handle the Funeral?

Words of Hope

FEATURES 8 18 24 38

David Plyler The Mayor Who Helped Reshape Sherman The Lp(a) Factor One heart number to know Keanu Reeves The Quiet Life

Peptides: What’s the Buzz?

More Inside

KEANU REEVES A QUIET FORCE

THE Lp(a) FACTOR

PEPTIDES: WHAT’S THE BUZZ?

TEXOMA AREA SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

@ LivingWellmag @ LivingWellmags

David Plyler

The Mayor Who Helped Reshape Sherman

@ LivingWellmags @ LivingWellmagaz

Visit LivingWellMag.com for a free digital subscription.

38 TEXOMA AREA • 5

Left to right John S. Early, MD Terry K. Gemas, MD William F. Tucker, Jr., MD Duncan L. McKellar, Jr., MD J. Conner Ryan, MD Brian I. Nwannunu, MD Florian F. Dibra, MD Charles E. Toulson, MD Cyrus E. Abbaschian, MD Donald W. Hohman, MD J. Stephen Appleton, MD Alexander S. Greenstein, MD Kwame A. Ennin, MD Samuel K. Stephenson, MD Raj Yalamanchili, MD Emmanuel D. Eisenstein, MD

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David Plyler & Sherman’s Defining Decade L

iving Well Magazine feature writer Sondra Barr sat down with former Sherman Mayor David Plyler to discuss the explosive growth that reshaped the city, the deals that brought billions in investment to Sherman, and what life looks like after nearly a decade leading one of North Texas’ fastest-growing communities.

8 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

TxDOT Road Hand Award & Highway Legacy

You recently received TxDOT’s Road Hand Award—their highest honor for a nonemployee—for your work on Highway 75. What does that recognition mean to you personally, and what was the moment you knew that project would actually get done? I was quite surprised by the award! It was a great honor to be recognized in this way by TxDot. The surprise award was given at a city council meeting and I had been encouraged by my wife Mignon to attend because of special business the council had, so I really had no idea. When our TxDot Paris district engineer and my good friend Noel Paramanantham began to speak about the award, he made reference to a ‘former mayor’ with my years in office and as president of the Grayson Metropolitan Planning Organization so at that point I knew. The award is a big deal and there were other area mayors and TxDot officials there for the award. They had even planned a nice reception afterward for me! I have always felt like I share the award. There were so many that worked very hard and made investments in Highway 75, so the award should be given to the entire team. The project itself was a huge undertaking for a city our size. The project was divided into four separate phases for construction, and the plan was to get approval for each phase to make it more attractive to TxDot to fund and to make local participation levels feasible. Once the county and the City of Sherman reached a certain level of participation, TXDot agreed to fund the first phase and design the full upgrade. This was huge because Highway 75 has not been improved at all through south Sherman and the improvements north of Travis Street had failed leading to highway panels to misalign and create unsafe conditions. The Highway 75 reconstruction is a $750 million undertaking. For readers who sit in that construction traffic every day, can you walk them through exactly what it took behind the scenes—the meetings, the lobbying, the coalition-building—to move a project of that scale from wish list to reality? The journey to construction on 75 was genuinely a picture-perfect example of what local governments can accomplish working together. From the initial meetings at our local TxDot offices to bid letting there were a number of people involved with the same goal. The county judge at the time was a huge advocate for the highway, and working with our district engineer brought it forward to the TxDot Commission for consideration. We also gathered up local participation financially and with the help of the city council and city staff the project was viable on our end and conditions met for the state to consider funding the project. Once the first section was approved for funding by the state, the next two phases were funded quite quickly. I suspect that Governor Abbott had a hand in moving the next phases forward ahead of the established dates due to the new industry in Sherman. This is a large project for TxDot and it was needed. I appreciate the patience of the people of Sherman and I know it is inconvenient to have the highway under construction but it is going to be so much safer and easier to move around the city when it is complete. You’ve described the old highway as genuinely dangerous, with fatalities over the years. How do you carry something like that—knowing lives were at stake— while navigating the slow machinery of government and funding? Highway 75 through Sherman was notoriously dangerous. The high speeds and tendency to pool water led to many accidents and conditions that were unacceptable to a growing, thriving city. The county judge and myself, along with our city manager and city engineers and the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) began to lobby the commission to try to create conditions that would result in the project being funded. It was a process to be sure! Navigating funding sources, requests, planning local participation, and getting our story out was a huge ordeal. The safety of the highway was our main concern and we had the data to make our case.

Plyler welcomes Ross Perot Jr. to Sherman Bearcat Stadium for the Mayor’s Roundtable in September 2024. TEXOMA AREA • 9

Mayoral Legacy & Sherman’s Transformation When you took office in 2015, Sherman was ranked as a great place to retire. When you left, it had been designated a federal High-Tech Hub with $35 billion in committed investment. If you had to point to the single decision that changed Sherman’s trajectory most, what would it be? I would say that Sherman always has had unlimited potential. From the very beginning, our city has been a great place for manufacturing and has a fantastic business environment. That gave us the courage to “get to yes” with putting these offers together. The council and city staff was very supportive and enthusiastic, although we knew that if we were successful a huge infrastructure project would be required with a full buildout of water and wastewater systems on the west side of the community. The decision to offer Texas Instruments an incentive package and aggressively compete for the facility was the defining moment that positioned Sherman, Texas, as a player in the international market and earned it designation as a federal “High Tech Hub.” Landing Texas Instruments and GlobalWafers, companies that transformed Sherman’s economic identity, didn’t happen overnight. What do you know now about recruiting industry that you wish you’d known at the start? That’s a great question. I think we were all in uncharted territory, and I can’t think of another city that has been able to provide—and continue providing—the infrastructure and support needed for manufacturers of this size.There are cities that have landed a single plant, such as Taylor, but having two multibillion-dollar plants, in addition to our existing manufacturers, is virtually unheard of for a city our size. One thing that I wish I had known in the beginning: I could have used a tutorial on how the international competition for these manufacturers was going to play out. Both Robby and Kent guided the process, and it was definitely a learning experience for me. The process was interesting to be sure. Robby Hefton, our city manager was really the ‘engine’ of the deal with countless spreadsheets full of very important numbers along with Kent Sharp and his staff providing funding and abatements as well. There were many meetings and conference calls with a lot of back and forth to get to these agreements, but my overall view was that both these companies wanted to be in Sherman and we certainly wanted them here. One thing about the recruiting process I learned was how aggressive and political the process is at this level of investment. Competing internationally was new and having great incentives along with having resources these plants need put us in the driver’s seat.

Plyler at the Texas Instruments construction site in Sherman, Texas.

10 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

You’ve been candid that Sherman’s growth has slowed somewhat since you left office, and that you’re disappointed to see the overall demand for semiconductor products soften. What are the implications of this for Sherman? Before the announcement of the new Texas Instruments facility, our local economy had steady growth with a few new housing developments and multifamily developments already breaking ground. I would say this would be the natural growth that would come organically in the city. Once Texas Instruments announced the large number of jobs that would be created, the real estate market was supercharged, and single-family and multifamily developments seemed to appear overnight. Once the semiconductor market slowed, so did the real estate and support business environment. While Sherman has a great mix of other industries, we can be sure the need for semiconductors will increase once consumer spending increases. With this type of industry, our local economy is now tied more closely with the national and international economic trends than it has been in the past. The good news is, Sherman is welcoming to all types of manufacturers and I am hopeful our strong economic development folks can recruit some of these industries.

Left to Right: Robby Hefton, Plyler, Sherman Police Chief Jason Jeffcoat. Tour of the Sherman Police Department.

The Transition from Mayor to Private Citizen After nine years as mayor, you told me you still pick up your phone sometimes when you see something in the paper—and then remember it’s not your place anymore. What has that adjustment actually felt like, day to day? I went through a process of letting go and that took some time. I actually started on the Planning and Zoning Board in 2011 so I have been serving for quite a while. There were days that I asked some questions but never interfered with an issue. I do miss our city staff and employees, so many of them are my friends and I was so lucky to have served with a group of such talented individuals. One thing that was particularly difficult to let go of was the Hot Summer Nights concert series. Our committee had developed this series from a localbased show into a series featuring well known and very talented groups. We hosted several Rock & Roll Hall of Fame groups while still maintaining a local feel by featuring opening acts from the area at each show. We were a tight-knit group and I miss working with my friends in planning meetings and concerts. Is there a project you championed that you wish you could have seen across the finish line yourself? Something that felt unfinished when November 2025 came? Yes absolutely. I would have liked to have seen the completion of our infrastructure projects and the next phase of Highway 75. However, the projects are in good hands and I have full confidence that they will be completed in good order.

You governed as a very pro-business, development-minded mayor. Now that you’re watching from the outside, what does it feel like to see others steward the city you helped build? It’s a different mindset to be sure. Many times, I want to pick up the phone or stop by City Hall, only to remind myself that it’s not my job anymore. The current mayor and council have it under control and I cheer for their success. Robby and I had our priorities and vision for the city and we had our time. Sherman’s future is all upside from here.

Plyler Construction & Community Work For years, Plyler Construction couldn’t bid on city projects because of conflict-of-interest rules. Now that you’re out of office, you’re doing the fire station renovation for Sherman. What does it mean to serve the city in that way, through the company your grandfather founded in 1962? I am blessed to live and work in the City of Sherman. The interesting thing about being here is the city’s long history and legacy of excellence in design and construction of our municipal facilities. Our firm built the Sherman Post Office on Mulberry Street used currently as City Hall. It was fun to go and work in the first building we built back in 1962. We have over the years been fortunate to have built many Sherman legacy buildings that are in use today. In moving past my terms as mayor, I have found that being a part of the construction team for some of these city facilities is an extension of my service to the citizens. It’s been a real honor to build in my home town and it is a great way to continue to serve our great city. TEXOMA AREA • 11

at-risk delivery system. We also can competitive bid, negotiate a time and material relationship, and many other delivery systems depending on the needs of our customers. The culture that my grandfather created has served us well through the decades integrating customer service, project safety, and timely completion in each and every project.

Public Service Philosophy You’ve said economic development is a cure for poverty—that opportunity is how you lift people. How did you develop that philosophy, and has anything you witnessed during your tenure challenged or deepened it? My first public speech as mayor was an address honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the City of Sherman. One of his quotes is “A rising tide lifts all boats.” My comments were focusing on what can happen when we work together with a common goal. My aspirations were and always have been to maximize opportunity for everyone in the city to have a good job and to realize their own dreams and ambitions. There’s not a magic formula to job creation. If companies are recruited and businesses grow, they will need employees. Employees need housing, streets to drive on, schools to teach their children, places to attend church, fire stations and police protection, restaurants, etc. The effect is exponential in nature. Each primary job creates several secondary jobs.

Plyler at the GlobalWafers America headquarters construction site in Sherman, Texas.

Plyler Construction has earned significant safety recognition, including a national award. In an industry where safety shortcuts can be quietly tempting, what’s the culture you’ve built, and how did your grandfather’s legacy shape it? It’s been quite a journey through the decades. Our company is a family business, so we have had consistency in our management from day one. Our average employee tenure is over 18 years and we have little turnover creating an environment of consistency and purpose. We have also developed resources such as our AISC certified Steel Fabrication Plant and Steel Erection Services. We also offer in-house mechanical and electrical services, a rarity in the business. These specific resources eliminate the ‘pinch points’ in most construction projects and allow better control of cost and schedule. This stems largely from our history of using the design-build construction delivery method, which is very similar to the construction manager12 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

Hot Summer Nights has been one of the most beloved community touchstones under your tenure, drawing 14,000 people to a single show. What does a free concert in Kidd Key Park tell you about what a city actually is? The Hot Summer Nights series is very special to me. When I first became mayor, our new Tourism Director Sarah McRae happened to be in the city manager’s office discussing how we were going to recruit bands to play HSN with a very limited budget. We had a good discussion with the city manager about what was possible. We had some great sponsors step up and used a bit of motel/hotel tax dollars and now the series is known statewide as one of the largest free concert series in any municipality. People come from all over. Typically, crowds range from 3,000 to 4,000 people at Lucy Kidd-Key Park and well over 14,000 at our annual fireworks show, Lights on the Lake. You ran a construction company and a city simultaneously for nearly a decade. What skills transferred most directly from the jobsite to the council chamber—and were there any that actually got in your way? The tasks were very similar in nature. The correlation between the two was fairly easy to establish and I was fortunate to have a great staff at the city and a great staff at my company. I am not a micro-manager and found it to be empowering to let the experts do their jobs and to get involved when required. I was blessed to have served under a fantastic city manager and city staff and they made it incredibly easy to serve as mayor. Our City Charter is structured so the mayor and city manager work collaboratively, with clear lines drawn between the roles of elected officials and city employees. There was not really anything that got in the way per se, the challenge became time management. There was so much I wanted to do as mayor, such as showing up to various events and meetings in the community, so there were some conflicts from time to time.

What’s Next—Including a Possible State Run You mentioned you haven’t ruled out running for a future office. For voters who might be hearing that for the first time, what would you want them to understand about why someone with your background having served as mayor for nine years? I did enjoy serving as mayor and working to make Sherman a great place to live and work and to raise a family. I tend to have a holistic view of the city and focus on areas that I sense need attention. My terms as mayor reflect that: new, safe highways, new streets in congested areas, job availability, updated city parks, more housing options, and much more. State-level politics in Texas right now is fierce and fractious. What’s your read on what North Texas needs most from its state representatives—and do you feel like it’s currently getting that? Our state representation has been strong. As mayor, I could meet with our state representative and state senator at any time. Both provided strong support in our economic development efforts and attended several meetings with the prospective industries. I do believe there could be more attention given to rising valuations and property taxes. As a high-growth area, higher property values can raise the taxes owed without consent. I hope Austin addresses this soon. You’ve spent your career working within systems— city government, the construction industry, TxDOT, the Metropolitan Planning Organization. Is that coalition-builder skillset something you think Austin is missing? I believe any time a governmental body is less focused on citizen’s needs and more focused on other things the less useful it is for the people. What we tried to do is focus on what was best for Sherman and it’s citizens and with that mindset were generally were together with the policy. Once that mindset is lost, the government fails the people.

On Perspective & Legacy You joked about “post-mayor trauma,” but there’s real truth buried in that. What’s the hardest thing you’ve had to let go of since leaving office—and what have you discovered you don’t miss at all? The hardest thing I believe I have had to do is say goodbye to working with such a great group of people. Many felt like family and to stop working with them all at once was a big change. We developed such a great working relationship and it made things so easy. On the opposite side of that, I do enjoy having time back to spend with family and at home. If someone in Sherman who was 10 years old when you became mayor asks you someday what you did for their city, what do you most want to be able to say? I would say that during my time as mayor I worked as hard as I could every day to make Sherman the best city in the nation.

Plyler with Robby Hefton (former Sherman City Manager) at GlobalWafers America Headquarters, Sherman, Texas. TEXOMA AREA • 13

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Have You Received the Best Advice? By CRAIG WATSON

arry is a 78-year-old man whose beloved wife has had dementia for years. The couple’s children, while supportive, do not live near enough to help. Sally’s condition has worsened to the point that Harry has no choice except to admit Sally to a memory care center. Harry is very sad and feels like he has failed his wife because he cannot care for her at home any longer. They have about $90,000 in savings and a $90,000 home. His depression was made worse by the realization that he couldn’t afford her care. They still make monthly payments on loans for their home, car, and preneed funeral plans. The nursing home personnel suggested that he get some free counseling available at a council of government’s office regarding qualifying Sally for Medicaid assistance. His outlook sunk deeper when the caseworker told him his only choice was to pay for Sally’s care until half the couple’s savings was gone, at which time Sally would be able to qualify for Medicaid. Further, they didn’t even tell him how to protect his house from a Medicaid Estate Recovery Program (MERP) claim if he were to unexpectedly die before Sally. Harry’s brother suggested consulting with a local elder law attorney. After Harry provided the attorney with detailed information about the couple’s income, assets, debts, and expenses, the attorney devised a plan that preserved all of the couple’s assets for Harry’s security and allowed Sally to qualify immediately for Medicaid. Harry was so relieved! Harry considered it a bonus that the attorney also suggested a special type of deed which would allow the house to pass to the couple’s children and avoid a MERP claim. Harry was very appreciative when the elder law attorney told him that this plan would also allow both of their estates to avoid probate, thereby saving their children money. The above story is true; the names have been changed to protect

the client’s confidentiality. Today’s senior citizens are members of the Greatest Generation. They were taught that our government is “of the people, by the people and for the people.” They would trust just about any government entity because, in their mind, the government is supposed to serve them as a taxpaying citizen. However, the cost of longterm care is a big deal and protecting the financial security of today’s trusting senior citizens is not a priority for the government. The fact is that a man paying for his wife’s memory care pays a higher monthly fee than Medicaid would pay even though the level of care is the same. Most senior citizens think fairness would dictate that the government would not negotiate a better deal for itself than it allows a taxpayer to get, but that is not the case with respect to the price paid for care in a long-term care facility. Because a nursing home receives more money per month from a private citizen than it would for the same service rendered to a Medicaid patient, the nursing home has no incentive to refer a private citizen to an elder law attorney. In fact, the nursing home is incentivized to refer the private citizen to a counselor that will advise the citizen in such a way to keep the citizen on “private pay” for as long as possible because the nursing home will receive more monthly revenue for the same care from a private citizen than it would from Medicaid. Obviously, the government would also like to see each citizen spend all their money on their own long-term care. However, Congress has provided a set of statutes that outline what is required to qualify for Medicaid assistance. It is the elder law attorney’s job to know those statutes inside and out to apply the law to each client’s particular, special set of facts. He also helps clients plan to protect their assets even though there is no current indication that they will ever need a nursing home. TEXOMA AREA • 15

16 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

The Lifestyle Shift

Helping Active Adults Live Better Lives Courtesy WOODLAND COTTAGE

s lifestyles evolve and priorities shift, more seniors are discovering that bigger isn’t always better. Across the country, older adults are making the decision to leave behind large family homes and transition into retirement communities designed to simplify daily life, reduce stress, and support healthier aging. What once felt like the “dream home” can eventually become physically demanding, emotionally exhausting, and increasingly difficult to manage. Today’s seniors are seeking something different—freedom, convenience, connection, and peace of mind. For many older adults, maintaining a large home can become overwhelming. Tasks such as yardwork, roof repairs, cleaning gutters, climbing ladders, moving heavy objects, and routine maintenance often create more stress than satisfaction. Even basic upkeep can place seniors at greater risk for injury. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls remain one of the leading causes of serious injury among older adults, and many of those accidents occur during home maintenance activities. Something as simple as changing a light bulb or trimming shrubs can quickly become dangerous and in some instances life-changing. Beyond physical injuries, the stress associated with maintaining a home can also negatively impact overall health. Chronic stress has been linked to increased blood pressure, heart disease, weakened immune systems, sleep issues, anxiety, and depression. Many seniors find themselves spending more time worrying about repairs, expenses, and responsibilities instead of enjoying retirement and focusing on the activities they love most. That’s why retirement communities are becoming increasingly attractive. These communities allow residents to enjoy the comfort and privacy of a home without the burden of constant upkeep. Lawn care, exterior maintenance, repairs, and landscaping are handled professionally, giving residents the opportunity to reclaim their time and energy. Instead of spending weekends managing chores, seniors can focus on hobbies, family, travel, friendships, and wellness. Simplifying life does not mean sacrificing independence. In fact, many seniors report feeling more independent after downsizing because they are no longer physically or financially burdened by homeownership demands. There are several options for retirement communities and one of the newer and more progressive concepts incorporates single-story cottage homes into an amenity enriched neighborhood. Cottage retirement communities are thoughtfully designed with accessibility, convenience, and comfort in mind, creating an environment that supports aging actively and safely. An important part of this lifestyle shift is access to wellness-focused

amenities that encourage seniors to remain physically active in safe and enjoyable ways. Staying active is one of the most important factors in maintaining mobility, balance, strength, and cognitive health as we age. Communities that offer amenities such as walking areas, pickleball courts, fitness centers, and group exercise opportunities make it easier for residents to prioritize movement and healthy living. Pickleball, in particular, has exploded in popularity among seniors because it offers low-impact exercise while also creating opportunities for fun and social interaction. Fitness centers designed for older adults can help residents safely maintain strength and flexibility without needing expensive gym memberships or lengthy travel. Having these resources conveniently located within the community removes barriers and encourages consistent participation in healthy habits. Equally important is the social aspect of community living. One of the greatest challenges many seniors face is isolation. As families grow busy, neighbors move away, and mobility becomes more limited, loneliness can quietly take a toll on emotional and physical well-being. Studies have shown that prolonged isolation can increase the risk of depression, anxiety, memory decline, heart disease, and even shortened life expectancy. Living in a connected community helps combat those risks by naturally creating opportunities for interaction and friendship. Whether it’s meeting neighbors during a morning walk, attending community events, joining a fitness class, or simply enjoying conversation over coffee, social engagement becomes part of everyday life. These small daily connections often have a major impact on mental health and overall happiness. Today’s active adult cottage communities are designed to foster both independence and belonging. Residents have the privacy of their own home while also enjoying the comfort of knowing they are surrounded by others in similar stages of life. This balance can significantly improve quality of life and provide peace of mind for both residents and their families. Ultimately, the decision to simplify is more than downsizing square footage—it’s about improving lifestyle. Seniors are choosing to let go of unnecessary stress and embrace environments that support wellness, safety, activity, and connection. By moving into maintenance-free rental cottages, many are finding greater freedom, improved health, and renewed enjoyment in everyday life. The next chapter should not be defined by endless chores, physical strain, or isolation. Instead, it can be filled with opportunities to stay active, build friendships, reduce stress, and truly enjoy the lifestyle retirement was meant to provide. TEXOMA AREA • 17

The Lp(a) Factor One Heart Number to Know By PATRICK LANE

ou probably know your cholesterol numbers, or at least recognize them when they appear on a lab report. Total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides have been part of routine conversations about heart health for years. But there is another number receiving considerably more attention lately, and plenty of people who carefully follow their cholesterol have never heard of it. It’s called lipoprotein(a), usually shortened to Lp(a), and one of the most interesting things about it is that you can do many of the “right” things for your health and still have a high level. You can exercise regularly, eat thoughtfully, maintain a healthy weight and have respectable cholesterol numbers. Lp(a), however, plays by somewhat different rules because the amount circulating in your blood is determined largely by the genes you inherited. That doesn’t mean a high Lp(a) is a reason to panic. It does mean this once relatively obscure blood marker is becoming an important part of the conversation about cardiovascular risk. In March 2026, the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology released updated guidelines on managing cholesterol and other blood lipids. Among the notable changes was a recommendation that Lp(a) be measured at least once in a person’s lifetime. Because levels are predominantly genetically determined and tend to remain relatively stable, one measurement is generally enough to identify someone with an elevated level, although certain health conditions and life changes can affect results.

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So what exactly is Lp(a)?

To understand it, start with LDL, the cholesterol carrier most of us know as “bad cholesterol.” Lp(a) is a particle that resembles LDL but has an additional protein attached to it called apolipoprotein(a). That extra component changes the way the particle behaves and appears to contribute to cardiovascular risk. Elevated Lp(a) has been associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which includes heart attack and stroke, as well as calcific aortic valve disease. The European Atherosclerosis Society concluded after reviewing extensive genetic and population research that the evidence supports Lp(a) as a causal cardiovascular risk factor rather than simply something that happens to be present in people who develop heart disease. This is where Lp(a) becomes particularly interesting. Someone may have LDL cholesterol that doesn’t raise immediate concern yet still have another inherited source of cardiovascular risk that wouldn’t necessarily appear on a standard cholesterol panel. And unless someone specifically tests for Lp(a), they may never know.

The Genetic Connection

Unlike many familiar cardiovascular risk factors, Lp(a) is largely inherited. Diet and exercise are tremendously important for overall cardiovascular health, but they generally don’t have much effect on

the Lp(a) number itself. That distinction matters because a person shouldn’t interpret an elevated result as evidence that they’ve done something wrong. It isn’t a report card on how well you’ve eaten or how many workouts you’ve completed. In many cases, it is simply part of the genetic hand you were dealt. It also explains why family history matters. When heart attacks, strokes or other cardiovascular problems have occurred unexpectedly or relatively early in a family, physicians may look beyond the traditional risk factors for additional clues. An inherited elevation in Lp(a) can sometimes be one piece of that puzzle. Because Lp(a) runs in families, learning that one person has a markedly elevated level may also lead to conversations with a healthcare professional about whether relatives should be evaluated.

Why Haven’t We Heard More About It?

This is probably the question many will have. If Lp(a) matters, why haven’t doctors routinely discussed it for decades? Part of the answer is that cardiovascular medicine continues to evolve. Researchers have known about Lp(a) for many years, but understanding of its role in cardiovascular disease has grown considerably. Another practical issue has been that, unlike LDL cholesterol, there historically hasn’t been a widely available treatment used specifically to lower Lp(a) with proven cardiovascular benefit. That created an unusual situation. Why routinely measure something if there was little doctors could do specifically about the number? Thinking around that question has changed. Knowing about an elevated Lp(a) can provide additional information about someone’s overall cardiovascular risk. Rather than looking at one laboratory value in isolation, physicians can consider Lp(a) alongside cholesterol, blood pressure, smoking history, diabetes, family history and other relevant factors. Think of it less as a diagnosis and more as another piece of information. A high number doesn’t mean someone is destined to develop heart disease, just as a lower number doesn’t guarantee that they won’t. Cardiovascular risk is much more complicated than any single blood test.

What Does a Result Mean?

This is one area where an internet search can create unnecessary confusion. Lp(a) can be reported in different units, most commonly milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or nanomoles per liter (nmol/L). Those units measure somewhat different characteristics of the particle and aren’t reliably converted with one simple mathematical formula. The European Atherosclerosis Society has described less than 30 mg/dL, or 75 nmol/L, as a lower-risk range and 50 mg/dL, or 125 nmol/L, and above as a level that can increase cardiovascular risk, with a gray zone in between. But a laboratory number shouldn’t be interpreted in isolation. Its significance depends on the rest of a person’s cardiovascular picture. That is one reason this isn’t a test to diagnose yourself with after seeing a result in an online patient portal. A physician can put the number into context with the rest of your health history. There is another useful feature of Lp(a) testing: fasting generally isn’t required. And because levels are primarily genetic and usually fairly stable, it isn’t necessarily another number that needs to be chased every few months.

If Lifestyle Doesn’t Lower It, Why Know?

This is perhaps the most important question of all. If someone learns that their Lp(a) is elevated and can’t simply lower it by eating more vegetables or walking another mile, wouldn’t knowing create unnecessary worry? Not necessarily. Cardiovascular health is made up of multiple factors. While someone may not be able to change the genes influencing Lp(a), a healthcare professional can use that information when considering the person’s overall cardiovascular risk and other factors that may be modifiable. The goal isn’t to become obsessed with one number. It’s to have a clearer picture. This distinction is especially important because healthy habits still matter enormously. Exercise, nutritious food, avoiding tobacco, maintaining appropriate blood pressure and addressing other cardiovascular risk factors remain important even though those behaviors may not significantly change the Lp(a) measurement itself. In other words, “I can’t change my Lp(a)” and “there’s nothing I can do for my heart health” are two very different statements.

What About Treatments?

This is an especially interesting area of research. Scientists are studying medications designed specifically to dramatically reduce Lp(a), including therapies that interfere with the body’s production of apolipoprotein(a). Several have advanced through clinical development, but lowering a laboratory value isn’t the only goal. Researchers need to establish whether reducing Lp(a) actually translates into fewer heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events. Those studies are important because medicine has learned repeatedly that improving a biomarker doesn’t automatically guarantee better health outcomes. For now, treatment decisions for someone with elevated Lp(a) depend on the person’s broader cardiovascular picture and belong in a conversation with a qualified healthcare professional. This is also an area likely to change as new clinical-trial results become available.

One Number, Not the Whole Story

Perhaps the best way to understand Lp(a) is to resist making it either more frightening or less important than it deserves to be. Heart health has never been determined by one number. Not cholesterol. Not blood pressure. Not a calcium score. And not Lp(a). What Lp(a) offers is another window into risk, particularly a portion of risk that may have been inherited rather than acquired through lifestyle. For someone who has spent years carefully watching cholesterol, discovering that another cholesterol-related particle exists may initially feel frustrating. But more information doesn’t have to mean more fear. Sometimes it simply means asking a better question. The next time you’re discussing cholesterol or cardiovascular health with your healthcare provider, Lp(a) may be worth including in the conversation, particularly now that major cardiovascular guidelines recommend measuring it at least once during a lifetime. Your provider can determine whether testing makes sense in your individual circumstances and, if you already have a result, explain what that number means alongside the rest of your health information. For years, most of us learned that knowing our cholesterol was part of understanding our heart health. Medicine now knows the picture is a little more detailed than that. Lp(a) may be only one piece of the puzzle, but for some people, it could be a piece worth knowing about. TEXOMA AREA • 19

Not Just a Job By NANCY JACKSON, MBA

ospice. The first time Melinda heard that word, her dad had just a few days to live. Fear was her first response. Her Dad was on hospice four days before he passed on to Heaven. The Home Hospice care team made a deep impression on her family. “Everything they said they were going to do, they did it. With care and love, they made sure that my dad and our family were taken care of. No matter the hour.” Four years later, the word surfaced again. This time, Melinda understood what it meant. Support, advice, education, compassion, and company along the journey home. Her mom Laurette made the decision to go on hospice in February and Home Hospice walked alongside them to her life’s finale in December. This journey was different, longer, and more varied. It required more out of Melinda and her mom. The hardest part was watching her mom become more confused and give up control as her ability to do things diminished. Melinda remembers many times, along the

way, the Home Hospice staff took the lead in having the hard conversations with her mom. “As they saw things that I didn’t see, they prepared me and my mom for what was to come.” That took much of the weight and fear out of their pilgrimage, allowing Melinda to savor the time she had left with her mom. “I wasn’t the heavy all the time,” she recalls. “Home Hospice offered genuine, caring, resourceful, heartfelt support in a difficult time. I wasn’t alone.” Support came in many forms. Daily baths for Laurette. Lessons on giving insulin shots to Melinda. A listening ear every day. A Caregiver Support Group to attend. A volunteer recording Laurette’s legacy. A comforting presence and quiet words in the midst of the unknown. Melinda recalls, “It never felt like anyone from Home Hospice was just doing their job. They showed genuine love and concern.” In a nutshell, that is what sets Home Hospice apart. If you or a loved one, are beginning the end of life’s journey, please call Home Hospice at (903) 868-9315 to invite them along.

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The Quiet Life of

Keanu Reeves At 62, he has survived more than most, chased fame less than anyone, and built a life on kindness that costs him nothing and means everything.

eanu Reeves turns 62 in September, and his calendar is fuller than it was at 40. He spent last fall making his Broadway debut in one of the hardest plays in the English language, and this spring he put out an album with the rock band he started in his 20s and climbed back on a tour bus. For a man who has never seemed to want anything from fame, he keeps saying yes. The cottage industry devoted to marveling at his decency is built almost entirely on things other people reported. He gave Rolexes to his stunt team on John Wick: Chapter 4. He picked up the tab when the cast and crew of the last Matrix film took a trip to San Francisco. He funded a private cancer foundation after his sister Kim’s long fight with leukemia and never put his name on it. What is striking is not that he does these things. It is that he never talks about them. Keanu Charles Reeves was born in 1964, in Beirut, Lebanon, to an English costume designer named Patricia Taylor and an American father who left when Reeves was 3. His mother moved the children through New York and Sydney before settling in Toronto, where stepfathers came and went and Reeves passed through several high schools without collecting a diploma. He has never played that as tragedy. “When I see stuff in L.A. now, I realize how safe and sheltered my upbringing [in Toronto] was. We didn’t even do graffiti, you know?” he told Interview magazine in 1991, in a cover story the magazine reprinted in 2022. “I mean we did sling chestnuts at teachers’ heads.” What he collected instead were enthusiasms, and he has kept nearly all of them. Punk rock: “The Ramones changed my life,” he said in that same interview. Books: he was rereading Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet. Motorcycles: he named a 1974 Norton Commando as the great love of his life and admitted he had wrecked it more than once. “But I love that bike, man.” And acting, which he described at 26 in terms that still explain most of what came after. “For me, acting is very self-involved, especially between projects,” he said. “Once you get a part, you’re liberated. You can find out what that character thinks.” Hollywood underestimated him early, and he let it. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure made him famous in 1989 and stuck him with a reputation for being as vacant as the character. He does not appear to hold a grudge. “I think they still use, like, ‘Keanu’s Excellent Adventure.’ Or ‘dude,’” he told GQ in 2019. “That’s still around.” The interesting part is what he did with all that low expectation. He spent it. In 1991 alone he made Point Break for Kathryn Bigelow and My Own Private Idaho for Gus Van Sant, and the second was a genuine professional risk that apparently did not feel like one. He and River Phoenix, he told GQ, decided it the way young men decide things: “It was more like standing 100 feet in the air, and there’s this beautiful pool of water, and you’re looking at each other like, ‘You want to jump? Yeah, let’s jump!’” Speed made him a movie star in 1994. He turned down the sequel to play Hamlet onstage in Winnipeg, and the studio made him pay for it. “I didn’t work with [Fox] again until The Day the Earth Stood Still,” he said. That is a decade in the wilderness, described without a trace of bitterness.

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By SONDRA BARR

Once you get a part, you’re liberated. You can find out what that character thinks.

TEXOMA AREA • 25

LEFT PAGE: Performing with his band Dogstar, credit Davide Sciaky From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, Lionsgate Outcome, Apple TV. Starring Reeves, Jonah Hill, Cameron Diaz, and Matt Bomer. RIGHT PAGE: Good Fortune, Lionsgate A Walk in the Clouds, 20th Century Fox

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When I see stuff in L.A. now, I realize how safe and sheltered my upbringing [in Toronto] was…

He absorbed losses in those years that would have flattened most people. Phoenix died in 1993. In 1999, the daughter Reeves was expecting with Jennifer Syme was stillborn, and Syme died in a car crash 18 months later. He has never traded on any of it. When GQ asked what finally got him thinking about the shape of his own career, somewhere in his mid-40s, he gave a cheerful one-word answer: “Death.” Then he changed the subject to Anthony Quinn. It was 1994, and Reeves was 29, shooting A Walk in the Clouds in the Napa Valley. Quinn, about to turn 80, played the family patriarch. Over lunch one day, Reeves watched him work the phone between setups, checking in with his people, seeing what he had booked. Six decades and two Oscars in, Quinn was still selling himself. “Still hustling,” Reeves said, still marveling about it 25 years later. “I was like, Whoa.” The next morning the two of them had a long walking shot to get through, alone in the mist and the rows of vines. “Anthony?” Reeves asked. “Is it always going to be like this?” “Yes,” Quinn said. “There’s this idea that, like, at some point you’re going to be set,” Reeves told GQ. “And then maybe there won’t be so much working on working.” He never got set. That may be the best thing that ever happened to him. The John Wick films arrived in 2014, when Reeves was 50, and handed him a second act almost nobody in his business gets. He spread out rather than cashed in. In 2011 he had co-founded ARCH Motorcycle with designer Gard Hollinger, building bikes by hand in Hawthorne, California. He co-created the comic series BRZRKR and co-wrote a novel with China Mieville. He has been

with the artist Alexandra Grant since they met in 2009, and their first collaboration was a book, not a red carpet. Mostly, though, he went back to the bass. Dogstar, the band he started in the early ‘90s and got mocked for, reunited during the pandemic and became a serious part of his life. “I just want a bass in my hands at all times,” he told Bass Magazine in July. “Whether I’m on the phone or watching a movie, I need to be holding one and playing.” Ask what he is chasing onstage and the answer doubles as a philosophy of aging. “I’m looking to have fun. I’m looking to pay attention. I’m looking to listen,” he said. Ask his role in the band and the answer is funnier. “I’m called ‘Switzerland.’ I mediate, I’m in the middle, and I solve conflicts.” Last September, at 61, he made his Broadway debut in Waiting for Godot opposite Alex Winter, his Bill and Ted co-star and friend of nearly 40 years. The idea was his own. “I was in a hotel room. I was thinking about what Alex and I could work on again,” he told NPR. “And then it just struck me: Waiting for Godot.” Asked what he was feeling before opening, he did not pretend to be serene. “Terror, anxiety, hope,” he said. He did it anyway, eight shows a week, and what made it possible was four decades of trust. “We had a trust and confidence in our art practice through our friendship,” he told Gothamist. In May, Dogstar released its fourth album, All In Now, and hit the road. More films are coming. At 62, he is still starting things he is not yet good at. Quinn’s answer, handed to a 29-year-old in a foggy vineyard, turns out to have been a kindness. Yes, it is always going to be like this. There will always be another part to chase, another song to learn, another thing you have not done yet.

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Digital Eye Strain When Your Eyes Need a Break from Your Screen By MATTHEW K. ADAMS, MD, MBA

y the time you finish reading this article, there is a good chance you’ll have checked your phone, glanced at a text, looked at a television, or wondered why the font on your screen suddenly seems to have been designed for ants. Welcome to life after 50 in the digital age. Smartphones, tablets, computers, televisions, and even car dashboards become part of everyday life. While these devices are incredibly useful, hours spent staring at screens can leave our eyes tired, dry, irritated, blurry, and generally unhappy. These symptoms are commonly called Digital Eye Strain. And despite what you may have read on Facebook or Reddit, your smartphone probably isn’t permanently ruining your eyes. But it certainly can make them feel miserable. Why Screens Make Our Eyes Tired When we look at a screen for long periods, our eyes work harder than we realize. We constantly focus, refocus, track words, adjust to glare, and deal with differences in contrast and lighting. One of the biggest problems is surprisingly simple…we forget to blink! Normally, we blink regularly to spread tears across the surface of our eyes. When concentrating on a phone or computer, blinking can decrease significantly, resulting in dry, burning, and gritty eyes. And after age 50, dry eye is already more common. Add several hours of scrolling through Facebook, reading the news, answering emails, or watching videos, and your eyes may feel like they just spent the afternoon in a West Texas Haboob (that’s a big dust storm for those of you who did not grow up in Texas). Your Arms Aren’t Getting Shorter Many adults notice another phenomenon around their 40s and 50s: menus, medicine bottles, and phones seem increasingly difficult to read unless they are held farther away. This loss of near vision as you age is called Presbyopia. Screens can make this more noticeable because we spend so much time looking at small print at close distances. If you are constantly increasing the font size, squinting, removing your glasses, or holding your phone halfway across the room, it may be time for an updated prescription. What About Blue Light? Blue light has received plenty of attention, and blue-light-blocking glasses have become a booming business. Current evidence does not show that normal exposure to blue light from phones or computers causes permanent damage to your eyes.

However, bright screens, especially at night, can interfere with your sleep cycle and contribute to dry eyes. Turning down screen brightness and limiting screen use before bedtime may benefit both your eyes and your sleep. Give Your Eyes a Vacation Fortunately, reducing digital eye strain does not require moving to a cabin without Wi-Fi. Try the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something approximately 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. This allows your focusing muscles to relax and gives your eyes a break. You can also make a few other simple changes: • Increase the font size rather than squinting. • Keep your screen approximately an arm’s length away. • Reduce glare from nearby windows and lights. • Match your screen brightness to the room around you. • Remember to blink. • Consider artificial tears if your eyes frequently feel dry. And yes, scrolling through your phone while watching television technically counts as looking at two screens, not taking a break from one. Don’t Blame Everything on Your Phone This may be the most important point. Blurred vision, difficulty reading, headaches, dry eyes, or changes in vision should not automatically be dismissed as “too much screen time.” After age 50, conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease, and changes in your prescription become increasingly important to detect. Many serious eye diseases can develop with few or no symptoms in their early stages. That is why routine comprehensive eye examinations should be a priority, even if you think you see perfectly well. Your eye doctor can check your prescription, evaluate the health of your eyes, identify causes of dryness or discomfort, and look for potentially serious conditions before they begin affecting your vision. Technology is not going away, and thankfully, neither are cat videos, FaceTime with the grandkids, online shopping, or whatever rabbit hole YouTube sends you down at 11 p.m. Enjoy your screens. Just remember to give your eyes an occasional break. And most importantly, make sure those eyes get checked regularly. You only get one pair, and unlike your smartphone, there is no upgraded model coming out next year. TEXOMA AREA • 29

The Science of

First Impressions By GRACE EVANS

ou walk into a room and meet someone for the first time. Before you’ve learned where they’re from, what they do, or even whether they prefer dogs or cats, your brain has already started forming an opinion. Friendly. Intimidating. Confident. Trustworthy. All of this happens astonishingly fast. Researchers Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov at Princeton University found that people began forming impressions of qualities such as trustworthiness, competence and likeability after seeing an unfamiliar face for just 100 milliseconds. That’s one-tenth of a second. Even more interesting, giving participants additional time often increased their confidence in those judgments without substantially changing the impressions they had already formed. In other words, your brain can make up its mind before you’ve had much of a chance to think. Why are we so quick to judge?

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Part of the answer may lie in the basic job our brains have always performed: rapidly making sense of the people and situations around us. Is this person friendly? Is something wrong? Should I approach or keep my distance? We constantly gather information from facial expressions, posture, eye contact, tone of voice and behavior. That ability can be remarkably useful. It can also be remarkably unfair. Imagine meeting someone at a party who barely speaks and avoids eye contact. You might leave thinking, “She certainly wasn’t very friendly.” But perhaps she was painfully shy. Maybe she had just received upsetting news. Or perhaps she simply felt uncomfortable walking into a room where she knew no one. You observed something real. Your interpretation of why it happened may be completely wrong. That distinction is important because first impressions are not always useless. Psychologists have studied something called “thin-slice”

The next time you immediately dislike someone, try becoming curious about your reaction.

judgments, our ability to draw conclusions from very brief glimpses of behavior. Research published in the Journal of Research in Personality found that people could make moderately accurate judgments about certain characteristics after only five seconds of observation. But accuracy depended heavily on what they were trying to judge. Some characteristics became easier to assess with additional exposure, while others remained much harder to read. Your instincts may pick up something meaningful, they’re just not mind readers. Our biggest mistake may be taking that first impression and turning it into a finished biography. A person who appears confident becomes arrogant. Someone who is quiet becomes unfriendly. We take one piece of information and start filling in the blanks. A person’s appearance complicates things further. Then something else happens. Once we have decided what we think about someone, we tend to notice things that support our original opinion. Suppose you decide a new coworker is inconsiderate. The next time she walks past without saying hello, you think, “I knew it.” But when she brings coffee for everyone the following morning, you may treat that as an exception rather than evidence that your original assessment deserves reconsideration. That’s one reason an inaccurate first impression can have such staying power. Of course, there is another side to this story: we are someone else’s first impression, too. That can be useful to remember before a job interview, first date, business meeting or introduction to a new

neighbor. You don’t need to manufacture a personality or become the most charismatic person in the room. Small signals matter. Looking up from your phone, making eye contact when appropriate, offering a genuine smile, or being a good listener. The next time you immediately dislike someone, try becoming curious about your reaction. What exactly caused it? Was it something the person actually did, or something you assumed about what the behavior meant? Likewise, be careful when your first impression is overwhelmingly positive. We tend to talk about trusting our gut only when our gut is warning us about someone, but positive snap judgments can be wrong, too. Charm isn’t character, confidence isn’t competence, and a warm first meeting doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about someone. Time reveals information that first impressions simply cannot. Perhaps that’s the most useful lesson from the science. Think about the people you love today. There’s a good chance at least one of them didn’t impress you very much when you first met. Perhaps you thought your closest friend talked too much. Your spouse seemed aloof. The coworker who eventually became a treasured friend initially drove you crazy. Fortunately, you kept gathering evidence. First impressions have their place. They help us navigate a complicated social world and occasionally alert us to things worth noticing. But they deserve to be treated as a first draft, not a final verdict.

TEXOMA AREA • 31

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When you’re diagnosed with colon cancer, you need comprehensive care from renowned physicians, advanced treatment options, leading edge technology, and clinical trials. But you also need to keep being Mom. With more than 280 locations across the state, Texas Oncology provides expert cancer care and keeps you close to those you love. Because we understand that hugs from your six-year-old are an important part of your treatment plan. 32 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

903.868.4700

OLIVIA ROGERS, RN, BSN, CHPN, CHPO, MBA, is a leading voice in health care and senior services and the Vice President, Chief Nursing Officer of VNA Texas. Dear Olivia, My husband is coming home from the hospital after a long battle with cancer, and we feel overwhelmed by the thought of caring for him at home. We know VNA hospice will support us, but we don’t know what to say to him—or if we should avoid talking about dying so that he doesn’t lose hope. Our grown children and I want to help him be at peace and make the most of the time we have left, but we don’t know how. ~Don’t Know What to Say Dear Don’t Know What to Say, First, I want you to know how deeply sorry I am that you and your family are walking through this. Bringing a loved one home on hospice can feel frightening and overwhelming. You are not alone—many families face these same questions and worries.

Some people want to talk openly about what’s ahead; others do not. Both are okay. Listen for cues, and follow his lead. • Be present, even when words are hard. You don’t need the “right” thing to say. Sitting quietly, holding a hand, sharing memories, or simply saying “I love you” can be incredibly comforting. • Use your hospice team. Social workers, bereavement counselors, and spiritual care providers are specially trained to help families navigate these conversations and emotions. They can guide both you and your adult children through this time. • Support the whole family. Hospice care includes support for loved ones of all ages. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness—it’s an important part of caring well.

Hospice is not a place, but a philosophy of care. It is focused on comfort, dignity, and quality of life—for your husband and for your entire family. It’s very common to wonder whether talking about dying will take away hope. In my experience, hope often changes rather than disappears. Hope may shift from cure to comfort, from more time to meaningful time, or from fear to peace.

Our goal is to help ensure your husband’s final days are as comfortable and meaningful as possible, while surrounding your family with compassion and support. We all want to ensure our loved ones get the best care possible at the right time.

Here are a few gentle guidelines that may help: • Let your husband lead the conversation.

With warmth and care, ~Olivia

vnatexas.org NIJH

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To schedule your free in-home informational visit please call (214) 689-0000 or email gethelp@vnatexas.org For volunteer opportunities please call (214) 689-2271 or email volunteer@vnatexas.org TEXOMA AREA • 33

STAND OUT

WITH THE EMINENT CHOICE IN HEALTHCARE

34 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

Eminent Medical Center is the premier treatment destination in the Dallas/Fort Worth area with three operating suites and five private patient rooms. Pain Management • Sports Medicine • General Surgery • Spine Surgery Orthopedic Surgery • Neurosurgery • Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Total Joint Surgery • Foot & Ankle Surgery • Hand Surgery Headache and Migraine Treatment • Plastic Surgery

IN-NETWORK

Livingwell TOP DOCS AND OTHER

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2018-2026

Eminent Medical Center is a premier, boutique treatment destination in the DFW area. We are an In-Network provider with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, and United Healthcare.

ROBOTIC TECHNOLOGY Orthopedic surgeons and the medical staff at Eminent Medical Center are excited to offer Zimmer Biomet’s ROSA Knee System, which helps surgeons personalize surgical procedures for their patients.

PROVIDING SPECIALTY CARE We provide surgical services for pain management,

orthopedic & sports medicine, headache and migraine treatment, spine surgery and general surgery.

Eminent Medical Center is a proudly certified Center of Excellence Designation for Advanced Spine Surgery and Advanced Hip & Knee Replacement

www.eminentmedicalcenter.com • (469) 910-8800 1351 W. President George Bush Highway, Richardson, Texas 75080 TEXOMA AREA • 35

CROSSROADS MEDICAL 204 Medical Drive, Sherman, Texas 75092

Jelsma Orthopedics & Sports Medicine ...................Suite 100 ➠ Richard D. Jelsma, MD Texas Joint Institute ................................................. Suite 110 ➠ Duncan L. McKellar, Jr., MD ➠ Charles E. Toulson, MD, MBA Lakeland Pharmacy .................................................. Suite 120 Sherman Family & Sports Medicine .......................... Suite 140 ➠ Jason Taporco, MD, MPH, CAQSM ➠ Megan Whittington, DO ➠ Laurel Barnet, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, NC-BC ➠ Lauren Kirby, MSN, APRN, FNP-C ➠ Melody Barker, MSN, APRN, FNP-C Preferred Dermatology .............................................. Suite 150 Peak Physical Therapy .............................................. Suite 160 ➠ Jon Poe, PT, LAT ENT Centers of North Texas ...................................... Suite 200 ➠ Hunter Richmond, MD ➠ Peter Selz, MD ➠ McDonald Arnot, DO Sherman Internal Medicine & Primary Care ...........Suite 210 ➠ Benarji Tegala, MD Urbanczyk Ortho ........................................................Suite 220 ➠ Jeremy Urbanczyk, DO Baylor Scott & White Digestive Diseases Group.........Suite 240 Lone Star Neurology ................................................. Suite 250 36 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

TEXOMA AREA • 37

What’s the Buzz? By JULIA PORTER

few years ago, most of us could probably go through an entire week without hearing the word “peptide.” Now it seems to be everywhere. Peptides are showing up in conversations about weight loss, muscle, recovery, skin care, healthy aging, energy, longevity, and teeth! Scroll through social media long enough and you’re almost guaranteed to encounter someone talking enthusiastically about a peptide you’ve never heard of. So, what exactly are peptides, and why are we suddenly hearing so much about them? The first thing to understand is that peptides themselves aren’t new, exotic or inherently controversial. Your body has been making them all along. Peptides are short chains of amino acids, the same basic building blocks used to make proteins. One easy way to picture the difference is to imagine amino acids as individual beads. String several together and you have a peptide. Build a much longer and more complex chain and you’re moving into protein territory. That sounds simple enough, but what peptides do in the body is anything but simple. Different peptides can act as messengers, helping cells and organs communicate and influencing a wide range of biological processes. Some are involved in hormones, metabolism and immune function, while others play roles in appetite, blood sugar regulation and numerous other functions that researchers continue to study. This is also where today’s peptide conversation can become confusing. “Peptide” isn’t the name of one treatment any more than “vitamin” is the name of one nutrient. There are many different peptides, and they can have completely different effects. Saying that something is a peptide tells you something about its structure, but very little about whether it is effective, appropriate, FDA-approved or even well studied in humans.

You’ve Probably Heard of Peptide Drugs Already

Although the terminology may sound futuristic, peptide-based medicines have been around for decades. Insulin is one familiar example of a peptide hormone used therapeutically. Other peptide medicines have been developed for conditions ranging from osteoporosis to certain cancers. Then there are the medications that helped turn “peptide” into a mainstream word: GLP-1 receptor agonists. Some widely known medications used for diabetes and weight management are peptide-based drugs designed to interact with biological pathways involved in appetite and blood sugar regulation. These are pharmaceuticals that have gone through formal development, clinical trials and regulatory review for specific uses. That’s very different from seeing an unfamiliar peptide advertised online as a shortcut to faster healing, more muscle or slower aging. Unfortunately, those two worlds are increasingly being blended together in well38 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

ness marketing. Someone may hear that an established prescription medication is a peptide and reasonably conclude that another substance described as a peptide must have similar scientific credibility. It doesn’t work that way. Every individual compound has to stand on its own evidence.

Where Things Get Murkier

The current peptide boom extends well beyond FDA-approved medicines. Names such as BPC-157, CJC-1295, ipamorelin, MOTS-c and TB-500 have migrated from research discussions into gyms, wellness clinics, podcasts and social media feeds. They may be promoted for everything from injury recovery and muscle development to metabolism and longevity, but in several cases the enthusiasm has moved much faster than the science. For a number of peptides currently promoted for wellness purposes, human research remains limited or nonexistent. BPC-157 is a good example. Despite the attention it has received online for supposed healing and recovery benefits, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it has identified no, or only limited, safety information for proposed human uses and has raised concerns about possible immune reactions and peptide-related impurities. The agency has identified limited safety information or other potential concerns involving several additional peptides that have become popular in wellness circles. That doesn’t mean researchers will never discover useful applications for these compounds. Medicine advances because scientists investigate promising ideas, and today’s experimental compound could conceivably become tomorrow’s legitimate treatment. It simply means that “being studied” and “proven to work safely in people” are not interchangeable phrases. That’s an important distinction whenever something begins trending faster than the clinical evidence behind it.

The Compounding Question

Another word frequently heard alongside peptides is “compounded.” Compounding has a legitimate place in medicine. A pharmacist might prepare a special formulation for a patient who cannot use an available FDA-approved product because of an allergy, dosage requirement or another specific medical need. However, compounded medications aren’t FDA-approved. As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration explains, that means the agency does not review compounded drugs for safety, effectiveness or quality before they are marketed. The FDA also cautions that poor compounding practices can result in problems such as contamination or medications containing too much or too little of an active ingredient. That distinction can easily disappear in advertising. A

product being available through a clinic or compounding pharmacy doesn’t mean the FDA has evaluated and approved that particular compounded product. With peptides, manufacturing quality deserves particular attention because these molecules can be complicated to produce and characterize. The FDA has specifically raised concerns about peptide-related impurities and the potential for immune reactions with some compounded peptide substances. Put more simply, where a product comes from and how it was produced can matter considerably.

What About Peptide Supplements?

Walk through the supplement aisle or search online and you’ll find another category entirely: products marketed as peptide supplements, including collagen peptides. These shouldn’t automatically be grouped together with injectable or prescription peptide drugs. Collagen peptides, for example, are fragments of collagen protein typically consumed orally, and the digestive system breaks dietary proteins and peptides down as part of normal digestion. A collagen peptide powder and a prescription peptide medication may both contain the word “peptide,” but that doesn’t make them comparable products. The same caution applies to peptide skin-care products. Certain peptides are used in cosmetic formulations and marketed for their potential effects on the appearance of skin. That’s a very different route of exposure and purpose from injecting a peptide intended to produce effects throughout the body. One word is being used across several very different categories, which helps explain some of the confusion.

Why Peptides Are So Appealing

It’s not difficult to understand the fascination. The idea of sending a targeted message to the body sounds almost tailor-made for modern medicine. Instead of broadly affecting multiple systems, researchers hope certain peptide therapies can interact with particular receptors or biological pathways. That potential has made peptide drug development an active and legitimate area of pharmaceutical research. But promising science tends to attract marketing long before all of the questions have been answered. The wellness industry is particularly good at taking legitimate scientific concepts and moving them several steps beyond what the evidence actually supports. A laboratory finding becomes “breakthrough research.” Early animal research becomes “scientifically proven.” A compound being investigated for one purpose starts appearing online as a solution for five others. None of this means the underlying science is unimportant. It means consumers need to separate the excitement surrounding a field from the evidence supporting a particular product.

A Better Way to Think About the Peptide Boom

Perhaps the most useful way to approach the peptide conversation isn’t to decide whether peptides as a whole are “good” or “bad.” The category is simply too broad for that. A prescription peptide medication with years of clinical evidence and an experimental injectable promoted by an influencer may share a scientific classification while having little else in common. Instead, the important questions concern the particular product. Which peptide are we talking about? What is it supposed to do? Has that claim actually been studied in people? Is there an FDA-approved medication containing it for that purpose? Where is the product coming from? What is known about its risks? Those questions aren’t nearly as exciting as a dramatic before-and-after photograph on social media, but they’re considerably more useful. If a peptide you’ve heard about interests you, especially an injectable or one promoted for effects such as weight loss, muscle growth, healing or longevity, a qualified healthcare professional can help distinguish established medical uses from emerging research and marketing claims. Bringing the exact name of the compound to that conversation is far more useful than simply asking about “peptides.”

Worth Watching, Without the Hype

Peptides aren’t a passing invention created by the wellness industry. They’re fundamental parts of human biology, and peptide-based medicines already play important roles in modern healthcare. Research into new peptide therapies may eventually produce treatments we haven’t imagined yet. At the same time, the excitement surrounding peptides has created a marketplace where established medicine, experimental science and aggressive wellness marketing can look remarkably similar from the outside. That’s where a little healthy skepticism becomes valuable. You don’t need to memorize a list of complicated peptide names or become an amateur pharmacologist. You simply need to recognize that the word “peptide” by itself isn’t a stamp of safety, effectiveness or scientific proof. The next time peptides come up at dinner, at the gym, on a podcast or in your social media feed, you’ll know that the real question isn’t whether peptides are the next big thing. Some already are important medicines, others may someday become important medicines, and some may never live up to the promises currently being made about them. For now, that’s probably the most useful way to approach the peptide craze: be interested in the science, ask good questions, and don’t let the buzz get ahead of the evidence.

“Natural” Doesn’t Settle the Question

Peptides are sometimes marketed in language suggesting they’re safer because peptides occur naturally in the human body. That reasoning sounds reassuring, but it oversimplifies biology. The body carefully regulates when, where and how much of its signaling molecules are produced. Introducing a substance from outside the body isn’t necessarily equivalent to the body’s own tightly controlled production of it. Dose, purity, route of administration and possible interactions can all matter, as can the particular peptide itself. Even medicines based on substances naturally present in the body can have side effects, contraindications and meaningful biological effects. The word “natural” may sound comforting on an advertisement, but it doesn’t settle questions about safety or effectiveness. TEXOMA AREA • 39

Better Hearing KEEPS YOU

Connected! » Staffed by 2 Licensed, Doctors of Audiology » Hearing Aid Fittings, Maintenance and Repairs » Invisible Fittings/Open Fittings » Evaluation Period On All Hearing Aids » Hearing Evaluations For All Ages » Wireless/Connectivity Hearing Solutions » Battery Purchase Programs » Custom Ear Protection » Assistive Devices

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Livingwell

Is Fear Keeping You From Better Hearing? Courtesy HEARING SERVICES OF McKINNEY

ost of us would rather not discover that something about our health has changed. We put off the eye exam because we’re getting by with drugstore readers. We ignore the tooth that’s becoming sensitive. And when family members suggest that the television seems awfully loud, we may insist that everyone else simply talks too quietly. Hearing can be particularly easy to put off. Sometimes the reason is denial, but often there’s something else behind it: fear. The possibility of hearing loss can bring up all kinds of concerns. Will I need hearing aids? Will people notice them? Will I still enjoy music? Does hearing loss mean I’m getting old? What if my hearing continues to get worse? Those concerns are understandable.

When Not Knowing Feels Easier

Hearing loss usually develops gradually, making it remarkably easy to accommodate. You turn the television up a notch. You start choosing a seat where you can see everyone’s face. At a restaurant, you smile when everyone else laughs even though you didn’t quite catch the joke. Eventually, those little adjustments can become normal. Family and friends often recognize the change first. Unfortunately, their well-intentioned comments can make someone defensive. “You need hearing aids” may be meant as helpful advice, but it can feel like criticism. That can make it even easier to avoid having your hearing checked. A hearing evaluation, however, doesn’t automatically lead to hearing aids. It simply provides information. You may discover your hearing is within a healthy range, learn that certain sounds have become more difficult to hear, or find that treatment could make everyday communication considerably easier. Knowing gives you options.

The Fear of Hearing Aids

For some people, the hearing test isn’t nearly as intimidating as what might come afterward. Hearing aids still carry outdated stereotypes. Someone may picture the noticeable devices a grandparent wore decades ago and decide, “I’m not ready for that.” Today’s hearing technology looks very different. Many devices are remarkably small and discreet, and some offer features such as rechargeable batteries, smartphone connectivity and Bluetooth streaming. Depending on the technology, you may be able to send phone

calls, music, podcasts and other audio directly to your hearing aids. There’s another question worth considering: What do people actually notice more, a small hearing device or repeatedly asking them to repeat themselves? Treating hearing loss isn’t an announcement that you’ve gotten older. It’s a practical decision to make communication easier.

When Fear Causes Us to Pull Away

Another concern we hear is that hearing loss will change relationships and favorite activities. Ironically, avoiding the problem can sometimes make those fears more likely to become reality. When following conversation becomes difficult, a dinner with friends can feel like work. Restaurants become frustrating. Group conversations move too quickly. Eventually, declining an invitation may seem easier than spending an evening struggling to keep up. Treating hearing loss isn’t only about hearing sounds. It’s about staying part of the conversation.

Replace Worry With Information

If you’re concerned about your hearing, start by noticing what’s actually happening. Are certain voices harder to understand? Do you struggle more when there’s background noise? Are you increasing the television volume? Do people seem to mumble more than they used to? Then replace guessing with facts. A professional hearing evaluation can identify whether hearing loss is present, what type it is and what options may be appropriate. If hearing aids are recommended, an audiologist can explain the choices and help you determine what works for your hearing needs and lifestyle. You don’t have to make every decision at the first appointment. The important thing is to stop allowing fear of what you might discover to keep you from learning what’s really going on. At Hearing Services of McKinney, we’re here to answer your questions, evaluate your hearing and help you understand your options without pressure. If you’ve been wondering about your hearing but have been hesitant to make that appointment, consider scheduling a hearing evaluation. You may find that knowing what’s happening is far less intimidating than worrying about it. TEXOMA AREA • 41

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Who Should Handle the Funeral? By RICK ALLEN

am becoming more and more supportive of the concept of cutting out the middle man. Often this can make a product or service more affordable. It also seems like we are getting less and less service from service providers these days, so you wonder just what are we paying for when a third party is involved? Here in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, there is a television commercial for an insurance agent who takes great pride in being a “middle-man”. He claims that in his case, as a middle man, he can save you time, money and get you the best value for your money spent. I have used this agent in the past and I will attest that as a middle man, he does a great job delivering what he promises. Funeral homes, however, have done a pretty poor job in the recent times identifying their value to consumers and a trend has begun that cuts them out of funeral services because some of the public view them as unnecessary middle men. The Texas Funeral Service Commission has published a brochure in which the subject of do-it-yourself funerals is discussed. While it is not recommended, it is actually possible for a family to bury their own, completely on their own. Self-sufficiency is not a bad idea, but where funerals are concerned, a growing number of people are confusing self-sufficiency with getting something for nothing. The bad part about this is, the entity being asked to provide something for nothing is not the funeral home, but rather the place where people go to church. Several people have told me that when they die they want to just be buried or cremated, and then if their family wants a service, they can work it out with their church. I have yet to hear of a church refusing to do this directly with a family, but when you get right down to what is right and what isn’t, is it really the responsibility of the church to act as funeral directors? In my opinion, taking this article is actually a denial of reality. One reason people claim to have a lack of interest in their own service is the concept that “I’m not going to be there or know anything about it

anyway.” I, too, believe this is true, but what about your spouse, your children, siblings, friends, or maybe even your parent or parents? How are they going to find an appropriate way in which to accept the fact that a death has occurred, and how will they be able to say good-bye? The Frank Capra Film “It’s a Wonderful Life” beautifully illustrates how one man failed to recognize the manner in which his life impacted so many others. Little did the character of George Bailey realize how his actions, no matter how small or insignificant to him, endeared him to so many others in very powerful ways. It’s far easier to assume that no one cares or that you yourself don’t care than to face the fact that you will be missed and people will want to honor you when your time here is done. Putting this responsibility on the doorstep of your church is an easy way around a tough subject, but a far cry from the appropriate thing to do. Our funeral home has been asked on many occasions to come in and put together the loose ends. At other times we simply hear the tales from church volunteers of how unstructured things seemed when the funeral home was not involved in a service. Things get overlooked in the planning stage and unfortunately are discovered absent when it’s too late. Other things that could have made a huge impact on the service as a whole are left out completely because no one knew they could be done. Simply put, a good funeral director and a thorough funeral home staff are worth every penny you may pay to them. They plan memorial tributes every day, and those that are really worth something are constantly searching for ways to innovate and contemporize the way people say good-bye. Does value exist at all funeral homes? No. That is why I encourage you to discuss your plans with more than one funeral home. See the difference for yourself and then make a decision on which one you think will do the best job at helping you and your family create something that is meaningful, appropriate and affordable. TEXOMA AREA • 43

Livingwell TOP DOCS AND OTHER

HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS

2026

Texas Back Institute Texas Back Institute (TBI) has served the North Texas area in spine care for nearly 50 years. An uncompromising desire to put patients first and provide individualized spine care has helped change the treatment options available to patients for neck and back pain. Today, TBI is a leader in artificial disc replacement, minimally invasive spine surgery, complex revision surgery, and treatment of spinal deformity. TBI has trained hundreds of surgeons, scientists, and allied health professionals now practicing worldwide. Its research institute employs state-of-the-art technology and is actively involved in many clinical trials, including artificial disc replacement, minimally invasive technologies, and robotic spine surgery. Texas Back Institute has remained one of the most academic practices in spine care. It is one of the largest multidisciplinary spine centers in the world, providing comprehensive care for neck and back pain. With a fully dedicated staff of board-certified orthopedic spine surgeons, neurosurgeons, physiatrists, and physical therapists, the TBI team works together to support its mission of helping patients get back to life. The 27 physicians at Texas Back Institute are leaders in the surgical

44 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

and nonsurgical treatment options for back and neck pain, from the most common outpatient procedures to the most complex cases. Thanks to the unmatched expertise of the medical staff, the advanced diagnostic testing, and an unparalleled commitment to patient care, the Texas Back Institute physicians can identify the potential cause of your pain and create a treatment plan specific to your needs. Texas Back Institute has developed several spine specialty programs. These include the Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Center, Center for Disc Replacement, Scoliosis and Spine Tumor Center, and Complex Back Surgery Center. These programs give patients access to highly-trained care teams who focus specifically on these areas of spine care, allowing patients in the North Texas area access to treatment options for their individual problems from physicians with extensive experience in these areas. “At Texas Back Institute, finding the right solution for each patient and offering the least invasive treatment is core to our belief and the foundation for all treatment plans.” Dr. Michael Duffy.

TOP ROW: Sheena Bhuva, MD; Michael Duffy, MD; Alejandro Carrasquilla, MD; Brian Braaksma, MD; Theodore Belanger, MD; Stephen Tolhurst, MD; Blake Staub, MD; Alexander Satin, MD; Ivan Cheng, MD; Kevin Ju, MD; Akwasi Boah, MD; Junyoung “Jon” Ahn, MD; Chun Lin, MD BOTTOM ROW: Adewale Adeniran, MD; Thomas Kosztowski, MD; Rey Bosita, MD; Rajesh Arakal, MD; Jessica Shellock, MD; Isador Lieberman, MD, MBA, FRCSC; Richard Guyer, MD; Jack Zigler, MD, FACS; Scott Blumenthal, MD; Kevin Gill, MD; Nayan Patel, MD; Craig Lankford, MD; Michael Hisey, MD; Uche Davidson, MD

CENTRAL PLANO 4001 W. 15th St., Ste. 455 Medical Office Bldg. III Plano, TX 75093

ALLIANCE 3025 N. Tarrant Pkwy., Ste. 220 Fort Worth (Alliance), TX 76177

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ARGYLE 310 FM 407E, Ste. 100 Argyle, TX 76226 DALLAS 12222 N. Central Expy. Pavilion II, Ste. 310 Dallas, TX 75243

FRISCO 5575 Frisco Square Blvd. Ste. 400 Frisco, TX 75034

PLANO 6020 W. Parker Rd., Ste. 200 Plano, TX 75093

MANSFIELD 2925 E. Broad St., Ste. 101 Mansfield, TX 76063

ROCKWALL 3164 Horizon Rd., Ste. 100 Rockwall, TX 75032

DENTON 3537 S. Interstate 35, Ste. 308 Denton, TX 76210

McKINNEY 4510 Medical Center Dr., Ste. 106 McKinney, TX 75069

FLOWER MOUND 4370 Medical Arts Dr. River Walk Bldg. III, Ste. 230 Flower Mound, TX 75028

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(972) 608-5100 • texasback.com TEXOMA AREA • 45

WORDS OF HOPE

When You’re Tired of Being Strong By D.S. EMORY

have a feeling there are people reading this who are tired in a way that sleep doesn’t fix. You can get eight hours, wake up, have your coffee, and still feel it sitting there. It’s not exactly physical exhaustion, although sometimes that’s part of it. It’s the weariness that comes from being the person who keeps things going. The one who remembers what needs to be done, checks on everyone else, handles the problem, makes the appointment, offers reassurance, and says, “We’ll figure it out,” even when you’re not entirely sure how you’re going to do that. Maybe you’ve been doing it for so long that people have started describing you as strong. They mean it as a compliment, of course, and most of the time it is one. But I’ve learned there can be a strange loneliness in being considered the strong one. People tend to assume you’re okay because you usually are. Or at least you appear to be. You’ve become so capable at carrying things that sometimes no one thinks to ask whether they’re getting heavy. I’ve been thinking about that lately, especially about the expectations we place on ourselves as people of faith. Somewhere along the way, I think some of us picked up the idea that trusting God should make us almost endlessly resilient. We should handle disappointment gracefully, face uncertainty courageously, care for others without fatigue, and remain peaceful while doing it. If we become discouraged or overwhelmed, we wonder whether we’re failing some kind of spir-

46 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

itual test. Maybe if our faith were stronger, we think, we wouldn’t feel so tired. But when I look at Scripture, that’s not really the picture I find. I find people who loved God deeply and still became weary. Elijah became so depleted that he sat beneath a tree and told God he’d had enough. David filled the Psalms with questions, grief, fear, and exhaustion. Jeremiah wept. Job struggled to understand what had happened to his life. Even Jesus, during His earthly ministry, withdrew from crowds and rested. Scripture doesn’t seem embarrassed by human weakness. We are often far more uncomfortable with it than God is. That matters to me because there have been times in my own life when I’ve confused strength with faithfulness. I thought being faithful meant carrying whatever came without letting it affect me too much. Keep moving. Keep praying. Keep believing. Keep taking care of what needs to be taken care of. There is certainly something admirable about perseverance, but I’ve come to understand that perseverance and pretending are not the same thing. Sometimes the most honest prayer we can offer is simply, “Lord, I’m tired.” And I don’t think God is disappointed by that prayer. Jesus said something in Matthew that many of us have known for years: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” [Matthew 11:28]. Familiar verses can become so

WORDS OF HOPE familiar that we stop hearing what they’re actually saying. Lately, I’ve noticed what Jesus doesn’t say. He doesn’t tell the weary to become stronger before coming to Him. He doesn’t ask the burdened why they allowed themselves to become overwhelmed. He simply says, come. There is such tenderness in that invitation. Come tired. Come confused. Come with the situation you still haven’t figured out and the responsibility you wish someone else could carry for a while. Come with the prayer you’ve prayed so many times you’re beginning to run out of words. Come even if all you have left is enough faith to say, “I need help.” Maybe that’s what we sometimes misunderstand about strength. We think it means having enough within ourselves to keep going indefinitely, but Christian faith has never really been about self-sufficiency. We are invited to depend, to trust, to receive, and sometimes to admit that what we’re carrying has become too much for us to carry alone. That’s harder than it sounds, especially for those of us accustomed to being capable. We know what to do with a problem. We make a list, make a phone call, research the options, solve what can be solved, and keep moving. Those aren’t bad qualities. But life eventually hands all of us something that doesn’t respond to effort. A diagnosis we can’t change. Someone we love making choices we can’t control. A loss we can’t undo. A future we can’t predict. A problem that remains stubbornly unresolved no matter how many times we’ve tried to fix it. Those seasons have taught me something I probably wouldn’t have chosen to learn: there are limits to what I can carry, and there is grace in finally admitting it. I wonder if that’s why Isaiah’s words have comforted so many people for so long. Isaiah 40 says that God “gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” A few verses later comes the familiar promise that those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength [Isaiah 40:29-31]. Notice who receives strength. It isn’t the person who already has plenty. Strength is given to the weary. It is offered precisely where our own resources have begun to run out. Sometimes there is no dramatic breakthrough. You simply get up the next morning and take another step. You make breakfast. You go to work. You sit beside someone you love in a waiting room. You pray the same prayer again. You do what needs to be done today without knowing what tomorrow will bring. It may not feel particularly courageous, but I’ve come to believe there is a quiet kind of courage in continuing to walk with God when you don’t have the energy to soar. There are also times when faithfulness means letting someone help you. Strong people don’t always enjoy learning that lesson. We are usually much better at offering help than receiving it. We don’t want to inconvenience anyone, and sometimes explaining everything feels more exhausting than simply handling it ourselves. But I’ve become convinced that God often answers prayers for strength through other people. A friend calls at the right moment. Someone brings dinner. A person sits beside you without trying to fix anything. Someone says, “I’ll take care of that,” and for once, you let them. And then there are burdens we simply have to put down, at least for today. Not every problem can be solved tonight. Not every decision must be made immediately. Not every person we love can be protected from every consequence. Not every unanswered question requires an answer before we can sleep. There is a humility, and perhaps even an act of faith, in remembering that God will still be awake when we are not. If you’ve been carrying a lot lately, I don’t want to give you another list of things to do. Tired people don’t need another assignment. I simply want to remind you of something I sometimes need someone to remind me of: weariness is not evidence that your faith is failing. Being overwhelmed doesn’t mean you’ve stopped trusting God. Needing rest doesn’t make you weak, and admitting that something hurts doesn’t mean you’ve forgotten His goodness. Maybe today you don’t feel you have enough strength for next month or next year. Maybe today’s grace is simply enough for today. Enough to take the next step. Enough to ask for help. Enough to rest without feeling guilty. Enough to whisper a prayer that isn’t eloquent or particularly hopeful, but is honest. I’ve spent a lot of years thinking strong faith looked like standing firmly no matter what came. I’m beginning to think it sometimes looks quite different. Sometimes it looks like leaning, resting, and finally opening our hands to admit to God that we cannot hold everything we’ve been trying so hard to carry. And perhaps that’s when we discover something we couldn’t learn while insisting we were fine: God was never asking us to prove how strong we could be. He was asking us to come to Him when we weren’t.

You’ve become so capable at carrying things that sometimes no one thinks to ask whether they’re getting heavy.

TEXOMA AREA • 47

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