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Good thing I love heels! | Source: ShutterStock
I first realized I was short when I was in middle school. In my small Catholic school, our teachers used to line us up by height every day. I was always in the front, tied for first position with my equally tiny friend Damary. Whether we were walking into the cafeteria for lunch, filing into church, or going outside for recess, I was almost always leading the group. The boys would giggle as we took our position and say things like, “Are you guys ever going to grow?” Whatever, they had cooties anyway.
At first, I assumed I would grow to be tall. I thought that by eighth-grade graduation, I would have taken my place in the back of the line with the other long-legged kids in my class. But then, during a weekly visit to my very Italian great-grandma, I realized that she was 4’10, and I started to get worried. Later, I noticed that one of my older cousins, at 5’7, stood towering over the majority of my family. I heard a 19-year-old cousin talking about how she had finally realized she was done growing. She was 5’0. Things started to look bleak.
One day, I came home and complained to my mom about my height. “Will I ever grow?” I wailed to her. “Will I always be in the front of the line of everything?” My mom just smiled and told me the truth: my family is tiny (like a lot of Italian families), and there was no getting around that.
I was devastated at first (my dreams of being a supermodel suddenly seemed ridiculous), but I got over it pretty quickly. For one thing, I enjoyed being called petite. To my younger self, it sounded like “princess” (I have no idea why), and obviously, being a princess was my ultimate goal in life, so there was that. For another thing, I noticed that all of my older cousins who I looked up to were short – and that made it much more cool.
At 14-years-old, I had reached 5’0, and I knew in my heart I was done growing (and I really was). I embraced being short. Not only could I squeeze through crowds better than anyone I knew, but boys were always calling me “cute” and “adorable” and resting their arms on my shoulders. Okay, that last part got seriously annoying after a while, but it was fun when I was younger.
Hayden Panettiere and I share the same height | Source: DFree/ShutterStock
Honestly, I can’t tell you the main reason why I started loving my height – I just accepted that I was always going to be short, and I decided to own my vertically challenged genes instead of resent them. I remember complaining about my height to one of my best friends, who was nearing 6’0. She groaned and said, “Don’t even start. You’re so lucky that you’re tiny. I wish I could shrink to your height.” That day, I realized that the saying “the grass is always greener on the other side” was true. Maybe I was jealous of the tall girls, but maybe those tall girls were jealous of me, too. It was silly to me. Why obsess over something you can’t change?
Don’t get me wrong–there are definitely some annoying things about being short. It’s a little bit embarrassing when eight-year-old kids are towering over me. I always have to ask for help when trying to get something on a high shelf, and for some reason, people always find that really amusing. I also have a baby face, so I’m almost always mistaken for being at least five years younger than I actually am (but I’m told I’ll appreciate that one day).
Oh, and I’m never thrilled when new people I meet feel the need to tell me I’m petite. Example: “Wow, you’re so short! How tall are you?” Thanks for the (rude) reminder, guys, but I do own a mirror. I’m fully aware of my height.
But in the end, I would never trade my height with anyone (and if I really want to add a few inches, I know how to rock a pair of heels). Being short is just a part of who I am–and that might sound corny, but I like to think of it as one of my defining features. It makes me stand out. I’d rather embrace it than hate it any day.
Are you short? Or are you tall? Do you wish you were a different height? Tell us about it in the comments.
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I’m so lucky I inherited my mum’s family’s genes. The women in my dad’s family are all 5’3″ or less, whereas the women in my mum’s family are 5’7″ or over! There is nothing wrong with being short (every girl and guy should be proud of their height and shape!), but I’m so happy that I’m tall! I’m 5’8″ and I’m not even done growing yet!
“I always have to ask for help when trying to get something on a high shelf, and for some reason, people always find that really amusing.
You make me laugh – this happens to me every bloody day!
At least clothes stores have decided petite people exist in this day and age!
Hi, my name is Jennifer, I am 16 years old and 4’11″. There are no women in my immediate family that are tall at all. My mom is 5 feet tall, my grandma is 5’1″, my auntie is 5’1″. My great grandmas are both 5 feet tall. I always knew I would have no hope of growing over 5 feet, but I’m not done growing yet so hopefully I will get to that. I had ancestors that were shorter than me when they were done growing. Until not too long ago, I hated being short, absolutely hated it, but then I realized there were so many advantages. You are less likely to break bones, will on average live longer than tall people, are less likely to have heart problems, and you are never taller than any guys. For a while I thought that guys didn’t really like short girls, until I met this one guy on a trip with my older sister to Florida and before I left he said that the next time I see him I better not be any taller. It hit me then that being short is a good thing and I need to learn to accept it.
I’m 20 years old and 5’0″. All the women in my family are on the shorter scale but even I’m tinier then most of them. At first I hated it, everybody always told me when I was younger that I’d have a big growth spurt and I was always waiting around for this magic to happen.
Aaand it never did. But it wasn’t until I was about 17 that I just accepted it and found myself trying to find the positives. I started importing clothes from Hong Kong and China, which actually saved me money in the long run, I can get any size heels I want, if I’m not wearing makeup and trying to save money I can get a child fare on public transport, it’s funny to see people’s faces when they find out my real age, in a few years I’ll still look young.
Life is too short (lol) to worry about something you can’t change. So look to the bright side instead!
Im 15 and I am 4’11…and I have been that way for the past few years. I guess you just have to accept the fact and get on with it, but its so frustrating while buying clothes
im 19 and almost 4’10. I wish I could reach atleast 5’3. I love wearing heals but people get the chance to say im trying to cover my height with high heels. Im a media personality and i have to go very far in the field of showbiz so i wish i had some extra inches but i know that won’t matter much coz i know i have a pretty face and a good personality but it just feels very bad when someone tries to put me down by my height issue!