Make no mistake about it: people will test you. They will push your buttons, get on your last good nerve and make you want to choke the life out of them. But you practice the art of restraint. 

You can take a lot . . . but you know how far is too far for you. You know what your breaking point is. You know . . . that one-time-too-many smartass comment, the shoving you out of the way to get to that taxi before you, the co-worker who blatantly lied on you. Those may be the things that tip your right off the cliff of rationale. And then it happens.

They have awakened the dormant beast within, and now you’re ready to come out swinging.

You do this with forethought. You don’t do battle like this every day, but today . . . today is different. The line has been crossed.

Thank goodness you’re a confident, secure woman of midlife. Your reticence is one of your best qualities. You know how to handle yourself. You’ve drawn your lines. You’re no pushover. Until . . .