Skip to main content

Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

Palo-Santo-Candles

Honoring the Women in Our Lives

Feb 28, 2025 09:27AM ● By Marlaina Donato
flowers in winter

Oldiefan from pixabay/CanvaPro

One moment, the Earth is in the fierce grip of winter, and the next, thawing soil and new green prevail. The month of March is a time of both sudden snow squalls and unexpected, delicate sunlight. We are in that liminal space of uncertainty, half-cloaked in weariness, yet filled with flowering hope, when natural forces seem to articulate the ineffable quality of being human.

Nature outgrows uncertainties with awkward grace, succumbing to unspoken burdens, every now and then exhaling with a good storm that rattles the windows and the bones. In our folklore, nature is a mother—a woman that mourns her daughter’s departure in winter and rejoices her return in spring. Like Demeter of Greek mythology, we embody the seasons, but it is not always easy to accept our March phases, when we cannot make up our minds about who we are, what we want or which face we wish to show the world.

The world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, and a few inspiring names come to mind, including poet Maya Angelou, activists Rosa Parks and Malala Yousafzai, aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, media mogul Oprah Winfrey and marine conservationist Rachel Carson. Humbler, but equally impactful ladies also deserve our recognition, including our grandmothers and mothers that ran the house with lively aplomb, or our aunts and older sisters that offered crucial advice for our first school dance. We also recall and honor the women we lost too soon—girlfriends that moved far away, co-workers that succumbed to COVID-19 and mothers we lost to cancer. We may even mourn our younger selves and the innocence of yesteryear.

March whispers, “It’s okay. Soften, and allow for all your humanness.” She teaches us a lot, if we listen. This month, be inspired to:

 •   Laugh at yourself and embrace imperfections.

•   Display fresh flowers around the house.

•   Thank the women in your life for their unique gifts.

 

Marlaina Donato is an author, painter and composer. Connect at WildflowersAndWoodSmoke.com.

Related Articles:


padl21 from Getty Images SignatureCanvaProbrp

Finding Grace in Hardship

In the season of gratitude, it can be hard to feel thankful when personal struggles loom large. Yet, finding beauty in small moments and having faith in better days ahead can soften life'... Read More » 

 

pmihailomilovanovic from Getty Images Signaturebrp

Celebrating Unseen Milestones

Honor the quiet achievements like overcoming trauma or mastering a yoga pose. Share these moments to inspire others, making the human journey truly worthwhile. Read More » 

 

pG-Stock StudioShutterstockcombrp

Embracing the Winding Road

Meeting life in the moment, wherever we happen to be, can be a challenging but rewarding spiritual discipline. Read More » 

 




In-Print, Inspiration National Content March 2025
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

 

Upcoming Events Near You
Follow Us On Facebook