50 Years of Friendship, Fairways & Feeling Young – The Wellness Power of Reconnecting
- Antonio Leal
- Jun 16
- 3 min read
This past weekend, I stepped back in time — not in a nostalgic sense, but in a deeply personal and grounding way. I joined a group of lifelong friends for another unforgettable golf tournament reunion. We've been doing this since 2016, but our first tournament actually started in1981. We kept that going for several years until most of us and our lives took different paths and took us away from the neighborhood, but we reconnected again at my Dad's funeral and the Riverside Open was born again.
These are the guys I grew up with — the ones from the old neighborhood, the ones I’ve known for over 50 years. The stories, the laughter, the harmless trash talk over missed putts… it all reminded me of something I talk about often at The Queens Med Spa, but sometimes forget to fully feel: that true wellness is just as much about who you’re with as what you do.
As someone deeply immersed in the world of anti-aging and holistic health, I spend a lot of time researching, practicing, and offering treatments designed to slow the clock — red light therapy, ozone sauna, oxygen inhalation, cognitive light therapy, IV drips, PEMF therapy, and advanced skincare. These tools are powerful, and I believe in them fully. But there’s a part of the aging conversation that can’t be bottled, injected, or placed under a machine: connection.
The Anti-Aging Secret No One Talks About Enough
Science backs it up: social bonds are one of the strongest predictors of long life and mental sharpness. It’s not just about having friends on Facebook. It’s about real, face-to-face, belly-laughing, secret-sharing connection. It’s about making time for the people who know your past but still believe in your future.
When I’m with this crew — men who have seen me through awkward teen years, career highs and lows, parenthood, heartbreak, and reinvention — I feel ageless. Not because we’re trying to be young again, but because we’ve never stopped showing up for each other.
Social Wellness Is Real Wellness
At The Queens Med Spa, we talk a lot about holistic aging — how mental, physical, and emotional health are all intertwined. You can have glowing skin and energized cells, but if you’re lonely, anxious, or isolated, the body keeps score.
This reunion reminded me that joy is medicine. That a good laugh can soften lines on your face more than any injection. That being seen, truly seen, by people who accept you — gray hairs, extra pounds, and all — is the ultimate form of self-care.
Aging Gracefully Isn’t About Looking 30 — It’s About Feeling Alive
I came back from the tournament with a sore back, a full heart, and a renewed sense of purpose — not just as a med spa owner, but as a man committed to aging well, inside and out.
To my clients, friends, and anyone reading this: don’t underestimate the power of your social circle. Make time for the old friends, the road trips, the silly rituals. Call the people you’ve lost touch with. Say yes to the reunion. Say yes to being around people who remind you who you are.
Because as much as I love offering red light and IV therapy, the most powerful anti-aging treatment might just be a round of golf with your boys from the block.
Here’s to wellness, laughter, and living well — for decades to come.
We will never forget you Denny :)
Antonio Leal
705 250-9544
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