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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Love is the Answer

Jan 31, 2020 06:06PM ● By Joe Dunne

As Valentine’s Day draws near, I am reminded of how my thinking, my feelings, and my behaviors have kept me from love. To be honest, I had zero understanding of the simple yet complicated concept of love. I know now that the need for it was the driving force of my life. In the beginning though, I did not know that I had implanted the wrong foundation for my thinking, and that what I searched for I could never achieve.

Eventually I did find the information, and I already had the need. However, the turning point came with a message that opened my awareness. A simple statement really, that “love is about giving and being able to receive love.” That is the key to being in love and being loved. It’s not enough to love others, you also have to let them close enough to love you. I had spent my life building walls to keep love out. People had tried to love me, and I wouldn’t let them. At the time, I did not understand how my thoughts affected both my behavior and my feelings in order to protect my fear of intimacy. Life became complicated. But, as always, love was the answer, and making the decision to allow love in was the key that changed my life. 

Truth be told, I still have so much to learn. Valentine’s Day reminds me why my wife, Asta, came into my life. Simply, she came to teach love. She has taught me so much and still teaches me. She has also given this gift to my sons—modeling love, giving love. Consistency breeds trust, and she is always consistent. Not just around Valentine’s Day but every day. What could be better than that? She always leads with love and still amazes me. My sons always know where they get their love from. They know the safety of coming home. She planted a safe spot in their DNA for the rest of their lives. Unselfish to a flaw, no one ever questions her motives, which always come from simple, pure love. Her ability to accept, give and understand are awe-inspiring. 

So, this Valentine’s Day month, I want to thank my wife for just being who she is every day of every year since we met—herself.  

Happy Valentine’s Day, Asta. Thanks. We love you.

Joe Dunne, publisher

Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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