"If an assalant got within arm's reach of me, I would be easily overpowered..."

It's the "what happens next" that is what you should consider. Is it worse to defend yourself, or is it worse to let someone do harm (or worse) to you.

"I doubt that I would even use a gun, even if our house were invaded and my life were threatened."

You seem to be implying that you think that your life is not worth defending with lethal force. I however, think otherwise, and I would defend YOU with lethal force if necessary. Any life is worth protecting. (and predatory criminals should be instantly killed...) You deserve your shot at life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Smart people, long since dead, thought so.

It may be helpful to think about things from another perspective. If your husband's life were threatened, would you want him to defend himself, or would you want him to just accept his fate - whatever that may be? Your answer is likely how he feels about you. If you think that you'd want him to fight back, isn't it fair to prepare to do that yourself?

My wife is not that big, but she knows which end of a pistol is the friendly end and which is the angry end. I would not call her an expert by any stretch, but she was sworn in as a Deputy anyway.

Should you wish to rely on a firearm as defense, you need to practice with it. A lot. Until you hate practicing with it. Read books from Gabe Suarez. Practice more.

If you choose that it is not for you (and that's no stigma) then you may want to make sure that your firearms are locked-up so they are not stolen or used against you. Get a safe. Then consider another defense. This could be reinforcing your bedroom door and windows and creating a safe area. (Have a cell phone handy for 911.) Or it could mean getting out of the house immediately if you hear a strange noise.

Honestly though, if you are a small person, there is no greater equalizer than a firearm in trained (and small) hands. Your life has much greater value than the life of a predatory criminal intent on doing you harm. Really.