30 Sep 2021 Editor’s Note: October 2021

When I look at this photo that was taken two years ago at the Schaefers and Collins Pumpkin Patch in Mayflower, I remember a fun fall day shared with a couple of my favorite people. I also remember lots of families with young kids waiting in line for the hayride and barrel pull. Don and I spent many hours in those lines when our two kids were young, and we could relate to some of the bewildered faces we saw!

There were so many colors and shapes of pumpkins (all of which are squashes — who knew?), including perfect carving pumpkins and Cinderella pumpkins. When we walked through a nearby corn maze and my silly husband pretended to eat corn, I didn’t know that a pandemic was coming or that we would move to this region in the middle of the health crisis. We were there at the invitation of our only daughter who attended college nearby. Don and I were so glad to spend time with her because we missed her presence at home. It’s so nice to remember carefree afternoons like this one.

When I consider all the stress and grief that humanity has collectively endured in the past 18 months, it’s difficult to not feel emotionally overwhelmed. Like you, we have lost friends and loved ones to the virus. Yet we are here with a purpose, we are cherishing moments and trying to live a healthy life.

This issue’s theme is “Health and Wellness in the 501,” and we’ve included stories that approach the topic from a physical, mental and spiritual standpoint. As the Bible says, we are body, mind and spirit, and if one of those is out of balance, the other two suffer.

Our cover story is about Paige Revis, the lady who brought Jazzercise to Conway 25 years ago. This energetic woman has helped hundreds of women on their fitness journey. She also developed deep friendships with Jazzercise members, which is a bonus to having workout buddies.

We’ve included a story about a program called “Get Fit,” which is offered by county extension offices throughout our 11-county distribution. Our fitness expert, Jenn McCracken, offers practical exercise tips that you can incorporate into your weekly routine.

Another inspiring story is from White County where a young woman named Kristi Miller realized her calling to be a nurse while helping her mom through cancer treatment. Now, as a registered nurse in that same cancer center, Kristi is raising money to purchase another comfortable chair for patients to receive chemotherapy in. It will be donated in memory of her mother.

Have you thought about the exhaustion our health care workers and caregivers continue to experience? We’ll tell you what leaders are doing to prevent burnout. Our contributors have written numerous health and wellness stories and I hope you enjoy them all month long. 

Now that the cooler temps are rolling in, Don and I are enjoying Friday night football games and can’t wait to explore many more pumpkin patches with our daughter and son. Spending the day outside allows me to check all of the boxes — mental, physical and spiritual wellness. I hope to see you out there! 

Stefanie Brazile
Editor