I read the following horoscope last week, and I thought, that’s it.  Horoscopes are real!  

Cancer (June 22-July 23):  You will have to do something you don?t want to do, simply because someone else has the power to make you.  Do it with a smile (it will make it easier) but also start looking for ways to regain your independence. 

No matter what month you were born, this applies to you.

As a mother, a wife, a daugter, a daughter-in-law, a friend, this horoscope covers it all.  I am 39 years old, and the memories of just being Jen are dwindlling.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my life, but as I am sure most of you can understand, sometimes I am looking to regain my independence.

A lot of the time I feel like I always have to be somewhere, cook something, drop off some sort of cleaning, pick up some sort of cleaning supplies.  Buy some sort of deli meat.  Make some sort of sandwich.  Glue something.  Fill out some sort of form. Have some sort of talk with the hubby. Listen to some sort of story from a friend. Have to go to some sort of family get together.  Try to figure out some sort of math problem.  Argue over some sort of outfit my daughter wants to wear.

We all feel like this, and if you say you don’t, you are highly medicated and can’t get out of bed to do anything.  Come to think of it, the only person this horoscope doesn’t apply to is George Clooney.  He does what he wants, when he wants to.  He changes girlfriends when he gets bored, he flies off to Italy or Cabo whenever he wants.  He is not a bad man.  He actually does a lot of good for the world, but he answers to no one but himself.

Can you imagine such a life?  Truth is, as much as I complain, I couldn’t imagine that life.  I love having a family.  I love caring for them.   Sometimes things get unbalanced and you forget that it is okay for you to not want to do all those things all of the the time.  Hell, I don’t like to do the majority of those errands most of the time.   I think some of us mistake taking time for yourself as being selfish. What is so wrong with being a little selfish now and then?   Go to an exercise class, take an hour to read a book. Put a mud mask on and drink a glass of wine.

You are only as good to those around you as you are to yourself.  So continue to smile when you are forced to do things that get a little tedious.  And when you think need some independence, take it.

Gotta go.  I have to go throw out a dirty tissue my kid just handed to me.  But I am smiling!!!

Jen Ross, Author, “Don’t Wear Sweats Or Your Husband Will Leave You”