Once I put my sneakers on I’m about six feet tall, and have been this height since seventh grade. This made me taller than most of my teachers and all of my classmates, opening me up to non-stop commentary that tried to shrink me back down. So it tickles me to see that there’s now a movie that explores what it feels like to stand out once you stand up, giving us tall girls a positive spotlight for once. The plot twist here? I plan on watching it with my seventh-grade daughter who is a foot shorter than I was at her age.
I grew up never feeling bad about my height, despite what people said about it—and oooooh boy, did people like to talk about it. My size was regularly mocked, boys shorter than me refused to give me a second glance, and the only compliments I received were back-handed ones by people who asked if they could borrow a few of my “extra” inches, then followed up their request with some biting remark about how unappealing my stature was on a girl. It hasn’t been until the last decade or so that society finally started seeing height in a girl as something good, possibly even desirable.
Don’t get me wrong: many of us knew all along that there were lots of perks to being tall, refused to slouch, and ignored the haters. It just took a while for others to catch up to the mindset. The thing is, we’re not up here being elitist about it. We want people of all sizes to feel comfortable in their skin, have the self-confidence they deserve. This is why it infuriates me that ever since my adorably petite daughter started walking, people have said right in front of her that they hope she is tall like me—especially when they know our family well enough to get that the odds are against that outcome (I’m the genetic anomaly, surrounded by short to not-quite-average-height women on both sides of the family).
Why must whatever someone is not be good enough for the people around them? People told me I was too tall. People tell me and her (I mean SHE IS RIGHT THERE WHEN THEY SAY IT) that she’s too short. It’s so dumb. Which is why I’ve raised her to see that all sizes and shapes are beautiful, and to accept them all.
The reason I’m bringing this up, is because we both saw the “Tall Girls” movie trailer, got to talking, and ended up with a handful of things we think are awesome about the skin we’re in right now. Sure, she has a few more years of growing ahead of her and may not be short forever, but the point is accepting and loving who you are in any given moment.
9 Things I Love About Being Tall
1. There’s no hiding who I am physically, so why bother hiding myself, period?
2. I can reach things that are up on high shelves. (Little old ladies in grocery stores regularly heap their gratitude on me for this fact.)
3. I can easily find my friends in crowded rooms.
4. Longer arms = bigger hugs.
5. Rarely am I ever at armpit-level while riding public transportation on very hot days.
6. Sweater dresses become just long sweaters on me and they’re soooo comfy to wear with jeans all winter
7. Bigger feet means I fit into men’s shoes, too, giving me even more options to choose.
8. Longer legs = longer strides = I get places faster and with less effort.
9. Kids treat me like a jungle gym, which makes me laugh every time.
9 Things My Daughter Loves About Being Short
1. People don’t expect her to be good at basketball, and it’s great to prove them wrong.
2. You get to climb on things to reach what you want—like kitchen counters and grocery store shelves—and no one can blame you for it.
3. She can easily fit almost anywhere during hide-and-seek.
4. Grown-ups can still carry you when you need them to.
5. She still looks like a kid so gets away with acting like one.
6. She still fits in kid-sized clothes, which are way more fun than grown-up clothes.
7. She still fits in kid-sized shoes, which are way, WAY more fun than grown-up clothes.
8. Pretty much anything can be a fort.
9. Your parents still let you treat them like a jungle gym, which makes them laugh every time.
Whether you’re rather tall, a bit small, or somewhere in between, we hope you see the perks of being wherever you fall on that measuring tape, and enjoy every single one of them.
