WT Mag February 2026 Issue

WomenToday

FEBRUARY 2026

10 Woman's

Facts About

Heart

7

Ways To Make Your

Valentine’s Day Roses Last Longer

When “Just One More” Affects the

Sleeping with the

Enemy

Heart

Cristina Hollins Here to serve: Showing up where it matters most

FLIP THIS MAGAZINE Live the active, beautiful, abundant life

COVER STORY

COVER STORY

CRISTINA HOLLINS Here to serve: Showing up where it matters most

By JOYCELYNE FADOJUTIMI

C

ristina Hollins’ life has always been shaped by love, sacrifice, and an unshakable sense of purpose. She is married to Marcus Hollins, and together they are raising four daughters—four young women who fill her with awe every single day. Watching them grow into themselves, confident and driven, feels almost surreal.

That is not all.

Their determination mirrors everything she once dreamed of becoming, and in many ways, they have already surpassed those dreams. Being their mother is not just her greatest joy; it is her greatest responsibility and her strongest motivation to keep moving forward.

Cristina’s story began long before her own memories. She is a first-generation immigrant who came to the United States from Mexico when she was just two years old, following parents who had arrived earlier to work and prepare a future for their children. She doesn’t remember the crossing, but she remembers the richness of what followed—a childhood lived between two worlds. One was

filled with vibrant Mexican traditions, boisterous family gatherings, and scrumptious food that her mother and aunts lovingly prepared. The other was a neighborhood woven together by many cultures and languages.

Moreover, growing up, she never questioned whether she belonged. That realization— that belonging is not always guaranteed—came much later. She was one of eighteen children. Seventeen siblings, a fact that still makes people pause. In her family, there was always laughter, shared responsibility, and an unspoken understanding that no one faced life alone.

Family meant everything.

At the center of it all stood her mother, Rosalba—a woman whose strength shaped Cristina’s very core. Rosalba believed deeply that hard work could open doors. She was intelligent, determined, compassionate, and endlessly giving. In her world, there was always room for one more plate of food, pride in honest labor, and a responsibility to lift others up.

In addition, Cristina watched her mother work two, sometimes three jobs at a time. As a child, she didn’t

Cristina Hollins

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understand why. As an adult, she understands all too well. Those long hours were the reason her family never went without.

When Cristina once told her mother she wanted to go back to school, Rosalba looked at her with confusion—not because she doubted her, but because higher education was a world she herself had never been allowed to enter. When Cristina explained that she wanted to become a social worker to help others, it was difficult for her mother to fully grasp. That quiet tension—the desire to make your parents proud of something they never had the chance to experience—is one many first-generation children know by heart.

Then, near the end of Cristina’s bachelor’s degree, life shifted in a way she could never have prepared for. Her mother was diagnosed with stage IV rectal cancer. The woman who had always been unbreakable, the family’s superhero, suddenly became fragile. The loss of certainty was devastating.

Cristina and her siblings did everything they could to care for her, leaning heavily on one another. Her sisters became her tribe, her lifeline during a season

filled with grief and exhaustion.

Rosalba was too sick to attend Cristina’s graduation.

But wait. There is more.

Cristina went to her mother.

She dressed her in the cap and gown, placing it gently on her head, and gave her the moment she deserved. There, on the front porch, her mother sat tall and proud, smiling as though chemotherapy had not taken its toll. That image—her mother glowing with pride despite everything—remains one of Cristina’s most treasured memories.

Rosalba in Cristina’s graduation cap and gown!

Contd. on Page 4

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COVER STORY When Cristina told Rosalba, she planned to apply for the Advanced Master of Social Work program, her mother offered a warning spoken with love and truth: “Don’t start something you can’t finish. Life will happen, Mija. Once you’re in, you’re in all the way.” She knew she wouldn’t be there to see it. And she was right. But those words became fuel—fuel Cristina still carries with her today.

COVER STORY Her mother’s strength, sacrifice, and unwavering belief live on in everything Cristina does.

Cristina earned her associate degree from Kilgore College, undergraduate and graduate degrees from Stephen F. Austin State University. It is important to note; her education was never just about credentials—it was about service.

For this reason, she built her career in the nonprofit world, choosing purpose over prestige every step of the way. Her journey began as a: 9 Summer Camp Counselor at Highway 80 Rescue Mission, where she saw how stability and encouragement could change a child’s life.

9 Residential Case Manager at the Women’s Center of East Texas, walking alongside women rebuilding their lives with courage.

9 Mental Health Coordinator at Next Step Community Solutions.

“YOU were meant to be here!

YOUR voice matters.

YOUR presence is needed.

KEEP showing up—not just for yourself, but for THOSE who will come after you.”

- Cristina Hollins

And Cristina’s story continues.

Later, she worked for The Martin House Children’s Advocacy Center. Cristina wore many hats including: Family and Children Advocate, Bilingual Forensic Interviewer, and eventually Therapist. As a matter of fact, she became the organization’s first bilingual therapist. This was more than a milestone; it was a doorway.

Indeed, families could finally tell their stories in their own language during their most painful moments. This experience reaffirmed her belief that access, representation, and compassion can be life changing.

Though advocacy and healing have always guided her, Cristina felt a pull towards children. She has always believed that school is a child’s second home—a place where joy and hardship quietly coexist.

Marquita Rowland, Christy Collins, and Cristina Hollins

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Cristina Hollins speaks at Education by Design inaugural Gala

Currently, she serves as the School Counselor at Longview Independent School District’s Clarence W. Bailey Elementary School. From this front-row seat, she witnesses children’s laughter, struggles, resilience, and unspoken burdens. She is there to listen, to advocate, and to remind the students, again and again— that they matter.

Over the past decade, Cristina has walked with individuals and families through some of their darkest moments. No matter the setting, her purpose remains the same: to instill hope. She focuses on strengths, not deficits, FEBRUARY 2026

and she fights fiercely for more compassion, more resources, and more opportunity—because she believes everyone deserves a good life.

For those who hope to follow a similar path, Cristina offers simple but powerful advice: build relationships. Stay open. Along her journey, strangers became mentors, allies, and friends appeared at just the right time.

Community, she believes, can carry you further than talent alone ever will.

As a Mexican American, firstgeneration professional, she often finds herself feeling like a non-pareil

in the room—one of very few who share her background. At times, it feels isolating. But she refuses to let that reality silence her.

All the same, she admits, the path is not easy. There are moments when it feels like swimming against the current, questioning whether you truly belong. In those moments, Cristina holds onto this truth: 9 You were meant to be here.

9 Your voice matters.

9 Your presence is needed.

9 Keep showing up—not just for yourself, but for those who will come after you.

And her journey continues.

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HUMOR

PUZZLE

Sleeping with the

enemy

By TRACY BECKERMAN

W

henever my husband goes out of town, I cheat.

I figure what he doesn't know won't hurt him, and since there's no way for him to find out that I cheated, why not have some fun while he's out of town?

Do I feel guilty about this?

Maybe a bit. But only because I know that my indiscretions may eventually catch up with me in the end. You see, I don't just have one lover. I have two.

Ben AND Jerry.

It's true, I'm supposed to be dairy-free. Wheat-free too. It's not that I'm allergic to wheat and dairy. It's more of an intolerance.

And by intolerance, I mean that when I eat anything with wheat or dairy in it ...

I snore. Yes, I snore. And it's loud. Like, rocket-engine loud.

Someone once measured it in decibels, and it was somewhere between a heavy metal rock concert and a baby crying on a plane, both of which are annoying but apparently not as annoying as an extremely loud wife snoring in the bed next to you.

Or so I've been told.

While my husband is out of town, I don't care if I snore.

I don't wake myself up snor-

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ing, and I don't keep anyone else awake either. Yeah, sometimes the dog gets annoyed, but then again, sometimes he snores too. When he snores, he gets thrown out of the room. My husband doesn't do that with me because it would make me mad, and he knows which side his bread is buttered on.

Wheat-free bread, that is.

It was a tough decision, but for the sake of my marriage, I chose domestic bliss over fresh bread. But when the cat is away, the mouse will play ... and also eat a lot of cheese, pizza and ice cream. I thought I was in the clear, but the problem with wheat and dairy is that they always come back to bite you in the butt, or at least make your butt bigger. After several months, it was becoming clear that I definitely had a little something going down on the side, and I knew I was going to have to come clean.

But then I found a guy who makes really good gluten-free cakes and bread. And my favorite ice cream dudes, bless their hearts, started a line of dairyfree ice cream. Was it possible I could have my wheat-free chocolate lava cake and eat it too?

I made the switch while my

husband was away. And then when he came home, we went to sleep, and I assumed it all went well.

But alas, I was wrong.

"You snored last night," he said accusingly the next day.

"Did you eat wheat or dairy yesterday?"

"I did not," I replied honestly.

"Well, you must have had something. What did you have?" he asked.

"The only thing I had that I didn't make was a piece of wheat-free chocolate cake."

"Maybe you are chocolateintolerant now too," he said.

I glared at him. "So you're saying that now you think I should give up chocolate?"

"Maybe. If it makes you snore."

"Actually, I think you should give up something now too," I replied.

"What?" he wondered aloud.

I shrugged. "Sleeping in the bedroom."

Tracy Beckerman is the author of the Amazon Bestseller, "Barking at the Moon: A Story of Life, Love, and Kibble," available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble online! You can visit her at www.tracybeckerman.com.

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7ways to make your

COVER STORY HEALTH & WELLNESS

HEART COVER STRINGS STORY

Valentine’s Day roses last longer

V

When “Just One More” affects the heart IP STAFF REPORT

W

e’re used to thinking of heart health in terms of stress, genetics, or what’s on our plates—but what’s in our glass matters too.

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, drinking more alcohol than our bodies can comfortably handle is linked to a higher risk of ischemic heart disease—the world’s leading cause of death, as identified by the World Health Organization. That may sound alarming, but the takeaway isn’t fear—it’s awareness.

Alcohol affects the heart in

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subtle ways. Drinking too much can raise blood pressure, and high blood pressure is one of the strongest risk factors for heart disease. It can also increase cholesterol and triglyceride levels, both of which play a role in clogging arteries and straining the cardiovascular system.

So, what counts as “too much”? The NHLBI defines excessive drinking as more than one drink per day for women (and more than two for men). Regularly exceeding that amount can quietly tip the scales against heart health over time.

Triglycerides, in particular, deserve attention. They’re

a common type of fat in the body—and while some are normal, higher levels increase heart-disease risk. Triglycerides are also influenced by diet, especially foods high in saturated fats, added sugars, and simple carbohydrates, like sweets, refined breads, and buttery treats.

The good news? Small, mindful choices add up. Paying attention to alcohol intake— along with what we eat and how we care for our bodies— can be a powerful form of selfcare. Because protecting your heart isn’t about perfection; it’s about giving yourself the best chance to thrive, now and for years to come.

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alentine’s Day spending shows little sign of waning.

Floral arrangements are among the most popular purchases on this special day. According to Rio Roses, customers spent $2.3 billion on flowers for Valentine’s Day in 2022.

Valentine’s Day tends to be the busiest day for florists as plenty of people want to surprise sweethearts with bouquets and other floral arrangements. Red roses account for 70 percent of all Valentine’s Day flower purchases.

Early in 2023, Finance Buzz researched the average cost of a dozen roses in each state so shoppers could expect what they would pay to gift their loved ones, and the average price for a dozen roses in the United States was $80.16 at that time.

Pennsylvania had the most affordable roses and Hawaii the most expensive. Roses can be costly, and recipients may want to do their bests to ensure the flowers last as long as possible. ♥ Unwrap the bouquet from any plastic as soon as possible to let the flowers breathe. Also, recut the stems with sharp scissors at a 45-degree angle.

FEBRUARY 2026

♥ Remove any leaves from the stems that would end up sitting in the water when the roses are placed in a vase. ♥ ¥Wash the vessel to rid it of dirt, dust and any grime to give the roses the best start possible. ♥ Use lukewarm water to fill the vase. Water that is too hot or too cold may shock the blooms and shorten their life span. Fill the vase to three-quarters full. ♥ Use the flower food that comes with the roses. It is a good mix of nutrients to help prolong the life of the roses. A teaspoon of

sugar dissolved in water also can be used in a pinch if the roses didn’t come with flower food. ♥ Change the water every few days, especially if it is cloudy. This is a good time to re-snip the stems and add more flower food to the lukewarm water. ♥ Keep any cut flowers away from direct sunlight, drafts and radiators or heating vents.

With proper care, cut roses may be able to last seven to 10 days , says Southern Living magazine.

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

COVER STORY HEALTH & WELLNESS

10 facts about women’s heart 💗 Awareness among women regarding the threat posed by heart disease has decreased. In 2020, a special report from the AHA indicated that, in 2009, 65 percent of women were aware that heart disease is their leading cause of death. By 2019, that figure had dropped to 44 percent.

I

f asked to name the No. 1 killer of women, many people might be excused for providing an incorrect answer.

Various issues affect women’s health, and some issues garner more attention than others.

But nothing kills more women each year than cardiovascular

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disease, which the American Heart Association notes causes one in three deaths of women each year.

That cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women each year is not the only surprising fact in regard to women and heart health.

The following are some additional interesting facts,

courtesy of the American Heart Association and other sources. 💗 The 2019 Global Burden of Disease study from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimated there are 275 million women around the world with cardiovascular disease.

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💗 Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of new moms. The AHA notes that could be linked to a host of variables, including obesity. Data from a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that examined pregnancies in 48 states and the District of Columbia found that pre-pregnancy obesity increased by 8 percent between 2011 and 2015. During that same period, severe pre-pregnancy obesity increased by 14 percent.

Obesity is considered a significant risk factor for heart disease.

are in women. The AHA reports that nearly 52 percent of deaths caused by hypertension (high blood pressure) occur in women.

💗 Nearly 58 percent of Black women have hypertension.

That’s the highest percentage among women of any race or ethnicity. 💗 Despite the significant percentage of global heart disease deaths affecting women, a 2021 study published in the journal The Lancet found that cardiovascular disease in women is understudied, under-recognized, underdiagnosed, and undertreated. 💗 The Canadian Women’s Heart Health Centre reports that menopause before the age of 45 is linked to a 50 percent

higher risk of heart disease.

💗 The World Health Organization reports that one-third of all ischaemic heart disease diagnoses across the globe are attributable to high cholesterol. According to the CWHHC, one in two women have elevated cholesterol. 💗 A 2017 study of more than 19,000 people who had cardiac events found that only 39 percent of women received CPR from bystanders in public compared to 45 percent of men. Researchers linked that disparity to fears of being accused of inappropriate touching, potential lawsuits and concerns that administering CPR to women could cause physical injury.

💗 The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada reports that the No. 1 cause of premature death in women in Canada is heart disease and stroke. 💗 More than half of all high blood pressure deaths

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