I am (almost) the shortest one in my family.
I take after my grandmothers, both of them were short. And they both married tall men, but my ex-husband is for another post.
Being short never bothered me. It is just the way I am. But most of the women in my family are at least average in height. The kid that came to stay with my this weekend is just plain tall. She is thirteen and 5 foot 6 inches already.
But my grandmother and her sister were short, and got even shorter as they aged. So by the time I was twenty-five they had shrunk enough that I was technically not the shortest one in my family.
A few years ago my mother called and said “You know your now the shortest one in the family. The kid is taller than you now.”
I said “Yeah? So what? Saw that coming as she was almost as tall as me when she was ten. Not a big surprise mom.”
“Well, I just thought you should know that.” she told me.
Didn’t bother me, I knew I was short, nothing has changed. But then I got to thinking about this. What the hell, had great-aunt Donna died? Did someone forget to tell me this. Not an impossible thing in my family, we aren’t all that great at keeping in touch.
So I called my mother back and asked “Did you forget to tell me that Aunt Donna died?” “No.” she replied. “Well then I’m not the shortest one in the family. What she doesn’t count?” I retorted.
She started laughing and said “So it does bother you that you are the shortest one in the family!”
“Hell no, I don’t care. It bothered me that I thought great-aunt Donna was dead and you forgot to tell me! It isn’t like you tell remember to tell me these things.” I told her.
Seriously my family is really good at leaving out important (or at least really interesting), relevant facts. I spent my whole life being told in an off hand way that grandpa #1 died after my Aunt Kitkat got married. What does that mean to you? I know what it meant to me.
I was in my thirties before someone let it slip that grandpa #1 died the day after his eldest daughter got married. In a hotel, with out his pants on, and it wasn’t grandma that called 911. You think someone might have mentioned some of this before.
So I’m short. My family is weird. And great-aunt Donna is still alive, I think.
ephemeral filaments 
OMG too funny.
Yup, I’m short & have a weird family, too. I used to be the shortest, but my grandmother shrank quite a bit & is now the size of Yoda. 🙂
I think I may be shrinking, the last time I got measured at the doc’s the nurse proclaimed me to be 5’1″ and a half. Since when did they start using halves at the doctors?
I think she was just jealous because if she was 4’10” I’d be shocked. She is one of the few adults I have met that is noticeably shorter than me.
4’10”- that’s my height (unless you look at my license. I gave myself an inch for luck). Just think, you would be considered tall if you were in my family.
I wear Dansko shoes when I work so it makes me about an inch taller. When ever I run into people on my day off and I am wearing tennis shoes they comment that they thought I was taller.
I’m 5′ 3 and 3/4″ (The 3/4 makes a difference!) I work in a school and most of my students pass me by 7th grade. When they make fun of my height, I always say, “I’m taller than my mom!”
I am the shortest but my (little) brothers are the tallest at just under 6’2″. I was always grateful it worked out that way. It is a lot harder on tall women and short men.
Now that’s a funny story. I’m from a family of short women too, but oddly, I’m 5’7″.
If you were in my family I’d be eyeballing the milkman. Grandpa wasn’t the only one messing around in my family I have come to find out.
When people talk about doing their family tree, I just think Why? It is all a fake, plastic, potted plant in my family.
Short is good! I’m tallish and have always wished I was short. I know that sounds patronising, but men think you’re cute if you’re short!
They do. There is a whole subgroup of tall men that only date short women.
The best part is a lot of them underestimate a short woman’s intelligence, it is entertaining to educated them!