Fantastic article Ellen….thanks for sharing your journey; it was interesting to see why you felt you weren’t assertive and the impact of family and work on how you navigated those thoughts. Assertiveness is such a fascinating topic—I think there’s so much to learn and understand about it….as you: not natural to me.

I wonder so often—how did I marry the one who is—sometimes too much.

Your line about how what we need is what we gravitate to—will stay with me a long time.

Loved your essay!