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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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What’s Truly Important

Dec 01, 2020 02:07PM ● By Joe Dunne

Once again, I am sitting here agonizing over what to write about. This sweeping pandemic makes almost everything seem to be just a little bit harder. Finding a subject that fits, something that may be somewhat inspiring, or even uplifting, has left me scratching my head. With all the confusion, unrest, insecurities, hardships and financial concerns so many of us are experiencing, I am at a loss for words.  


I started thinking about what this pandemic and so much social unrest has brought to the forefront of my mind. I ask myself what have I learned? What do I need to relearn? Or unlearn? And my thoughts on what is truly important come down to this: 


Time. What I choose to do with it and who I spend it with.  

My thinking should always be wrapped around doing the right thing for others as well as myself.  

Slow down. Enjoy my life. Laugh more.

Worry is hard to shake if I don’t work at shaking it. It also never serves me or anyone around me well. 

That truly living in the moment is hard but necessary for me.

To pay attention to my ego; I may not be as important as I think I am. Humility serves both you and me better. 

To understand love, how to love more, and be loved. 

That my foundation, when faced with adversity, is my faith, which leads me to trust and acceptance.  

That my control is only an illusion. The future will be as the future becomes, with or without me. 

To live life with a purpose of joy and happiness; take nothing, absolutely nothing, for granted.

To appreciate everyone, to respect everyone, especially my family, friends. To be present. 

That there should be no place for hate. Love, for me, is always the answer.  

That every lesson I have learned must be practiced and practiced and practiced until it becomes a part of me.  

That doing the right thing is not that hard, and I should not look for any acknowledgement for doing the right thing.  

How honored I am to be supported, by anyone, but especially my wife.  

That we are all in this together, and the planet is smaller than we think. We are much more alike than we are different. It has also reinforced in me that peace, love, tolerance, understanding, empathy and compassion are the solution. Never the problem.  


In peace, love and laughter,

Joe Dunne, Publisher


In-Print publisher's letter December 2020
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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