There are a lot of trials and tribulations that come with being short. Now I’m not talking about not being able to reach the top shelves of the world nor am I talking about getting used as someone’s personal armrest. Hugs can also be pretty awkward when you barely reach a person’s chest. But anyone who can relate already knows how awful that can be. I mean, come on, the weather is no different down here!
I’m talking about the real struggles that come with being small, the stigmas around being short.
I am five feet tall. Even. Sixty centimeters, that’s it. And I love it…most days. I am a strong, confident woman who just happens to be the height of your average middle-schooler. However, I can’t help but feel inadequate when strangers look me up and down then ask how tall I am. I can’t stop the feeling of embarrassment when those looks of “why is a twelve-year-old ordering a drink at my bar” come across the faces of others. And I may be small, but I’m not doll-sized, so why do people think it’s okay to physically pick up a grown woman?
Those everyday things I can deal with. What I can’t deal with is being looked down on or spoken to like I am half a person. I am not taken seriously in my daily life because of my height. Most men treat me like I am helpless, and some women consider me a child. There normally isn’t a person I come across that doesn’t bring up my size, but that is not the thing that makes me who I am.
I am short. I am little. But I am proud to be so. I surround myself with people who lift me up and make me feel taller than the rafters. My Nana always assures me, “God made you in the perfect concentrated amount.” What I lack in height, I make up for in heart. I have the biggest personality that is accompanied by a sharp mind, a quick sense of humor, an unending loyalty, and an unquenchable courage. I desire to do some big things that my height couldn’t possibly hinder.
So yeah. When you’re a short girl, life can be a little harder. You have to stand your ground or you’ll get walked all over. You may take up less space physically, but take up all the space you need to make your voice heard and don’t be afraid to stand up and stand out in order for your life to happen.
