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Publisher’s Letter

Nov 06, 2025 09:35AM ● By Jerome Bilaos

Each moment of our life allows us to feel fear, acceptance, tolerance, happiness, contentment, disappointment, anger, joy, discouragement, guilt, abundance, peace, depression, hope, caring, gratitude, and love. 

A roller coaster ride of emotion runs within each of us. The sliding scale of being human travels from blessing to curse yet hovers mostly in the middle. This is why it’s important to pay attention to the wellness side of the balance sheet, mental as well as physical. I’ve been working on myself for a long time, and I know my thinking is the key to finding and keeping my center. Thoughts that need harnessing and correcting remind me of wild horses running freely toward a cliff. I know it’s up to me to turn them into calmer pastures, but sometimes I’m simply too tired to do it. And, at those times, I ask myself if I even want to.   

With all the confusion and stressors in this world, it’s easy to fall into the trap of reacting in an improper manner. To snap at the wrong situation, the wrong person, using the wrong words or actions. 

When it comes to inner work and shadow work, emotional landmines can explode in the most unlikely areas. If I’m surprised by an issue that hasn’t been dealt with, it can make me feel isolated and so very much alone. 

Fortunately, within the darkness, I have found that there is a lifeline. It comes when I begin to see this as a spiritual time out and that the only thing I need to focus on is me. That’s when the time out becomes a gift of time to remove the grime from my mental and emotional energy. In many ways, it takes that kind of focus to find the well of goodness within my own heart and feel compassion for myself.

 A good friend of mine has a question she asks everyone – “Would you rather be loved or understood?” For me, it’s a toss-up as to which I want first, but in the long run, one will always lead to the other. It’s a balancing act, and as long as I keep both feet on the boards, I think I’ll make it.

With peace, love and laughter, 

Joe & Asta Dunne, Publishers
In-Print, Inspiration, Wise Words publisher's letter CNJ NCNJ November 2025

 

 

Upcoming Events Near You
Tick Tackler

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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