I’m a Chihuahua!

You remember me from school, don’t you?  I was always the one placed in the front row for class pictures and chorus. While others got to be the towering pine trees in the school play, I was the shrubbery. Ankle-biter. Shorty. Smurf. I’ve heard all the nicknames.

I’ve always been petite. My daughter started to borrow my clothes when she was just 11 years old. At 5-feet tall and under 100 pounds, I’m embarrassed to say that I was actually knocked over by a Texas-sized gust of wind one day.  Still, I never understood why people — even strangers — offered to help me carry large packages out of a store, or why friends asked if I needed help climbing into their SUVs. Surely, I can’t be that small. When I asked my husband’s opinion, he said, “You have the Chihuahua Syndrome.  You just think you’re bigger than you are.”

Maybe he’s right. I feel big — not fat or tall.  Just strong and substantial.  Fierce. Like bold little chihuahuas, who despite their diminutive frames, have the courage of a German Shepherd and the tenacity of an Iditarod husky. In fact, the only time I really notice myself having to look up when I talk to someone is when I’m conversing with my business partner Adam, who is 6′ 5″.  Otherwise, I’m right in there with everyone else.

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga

Positive that there must be other women who feel the same way, I went on a quest to find more small, yet fierce, females. Here are a few famous ones:

  • Lady Gaga – 5′ 1″
  • Kristen Bell – 5′ 1″ (on her Twitter page she tweets ‘5’1 is the new 6’2″‘)
  • Judy Garland – 4′ 11-1/2″
  • Kristen Chenoweth, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Lil’ Kim – 4′ 11″
  • Linda Hunt and Mary Lou Retton – 4′ 9″
  • Dr. Ruth Westheimer – 4′ 7″

And I’m in good company among my fellow 5-footers:

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa

  • Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
  • Pat Benatar
  • Ellen Page
  • Dolly Parton
  • Jada Pinkett Smith
  • Harriet Tubman
  • Mother Teresa
  • Chandra Wilson
  • Natalie Wood

In my teens and twenties, I wouldn’t be caught dead without my 4″ heels. However, over the years, my lower back and stilettos have stopped getting along. But now that my Chihuahua Syndrome has kicked in, I no longer feel the need to be physically taller.

So what has my Chihuahua Syndrome taught me?

  • Dream big; believe big.
  • Know your limitations, but don’t let them stop you from finding a work-around.
  • Don’t be annoying and yappy.
  • Use your stature to your advantage; tiny can mean nimble and fast.
  • Don’t be offended if people say you’re cute. If they only knew…

My family and friends have always accepted me for who I am (although they may have occasionally used the top of my head as an arm rest). And in the end, that’s all that matters — that we accept and love ourselves… however small, yet fierce, we are.

2 Comments

  1. Barbara says:

    You are fierce and strong and I admire it so much in you <>. Women who are tall for their age when they are young go through the opposite. I was full grown at 13. 5’7″ and I have pretty much felt like a truck driver my whole life compared to delicate and feminine women. As my Mom would have said – we all have our mishigos. I love fearless in any size <>

  2. dkillo says:

    Thanks, Barbara! The grass is always greener… when I was younger, I would have liked to have been a little taller… You are perfect just the way you are.

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