Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Hello Blog World!

Well, this is it.
This is the start of my new blog.
I’ve never done this blogging thing before but I’ve been following quite a few of my friends on theirs, and I love the concept. I’m completely addicted to social networking but sometimes I’d like to share more than what the “status box” character limits allow, or I’d like to post more than just one or two thoughts… and when I do, people give me a hard time about blowing up their newsfeed.
So this can be my new outlet, my new release… or maybe just another new addiction.
So I’ll start by introducing myself, since all new relationships need a proper introduction:
My name is Amanda. I’m a mid-twenties full time working mother, wife, friend, daughter, sister, cosmetologist, esthetician, crafter, chef, chauffeur, thinker, dreamer, facebooker, and potential writer. Others describing me might add amateur event planner, encourager, hugger, and sidelines comedian. I talk too much, laugh too loud, and have no concept of portion control when cooking. I clean when I’m angry. I hoard shoes and handbags and long dangly necklaces. I can’t stand to have the same hair color for more than a month at a time. I carry a full size can of hairspray with me at all times. According to my husband, I’m surgically attached to my cell phone, even though he’s never seen the stitches… it’s my ever-constant companion/necessity: communication, online shopping, mobile banking, camera  to capture moments with my kids, calendar, etc. Since having children, I’m extremely emotional and cry way too often… Also since having children, my closet has become a shrine to all my designer jeans that I can’t wear but I just CAN’T make myself get rid of… I keep telling myself “Someday they’ll fit again … Somday.” Then I go whip up a pot of spaghetti with my homemade spaghetti sauce, with extra carbs and garlic.
The name of my blog may seem simple, but if you know me in person, it’s so much more relevant to my life. I was not blessed with the gift of height; I am a mere 4 foot, (barely) 11 inches tall. I felt like I was of average height in elementary school, and then everyone surpassed me and I never caught up. Along with this fantastic vertical measurement comes a wealth of other “shorts”: short torso, so shirts are ALWAYS too long and alterations are expensive when you have to alter your ENTIRE wardrobe… short legs, so Bermuda shorts become capris, capris become crops, and regular pants require a 4+ inch heel… I will never be able to resell my prom dresses or any other formal gowns because they would be tea-length on the average high school girl these days… long hair makes a petite girl look even shorter so my hair will never again be allowed to grow past my shoulders. Contrary to popular belief, I do not have extension blocks on the brake or accelerator of my car, nor do I sit on phone books to drive. I purposely do not put anything on the top shelves in my kitchen cabinets so I don’t have to climb on the counter to get them down. I often stand on (or in) my shopping cart at the grocery store to get what I need on the top shelves. I’ve learned to adapt… It’s not a big deal (anymore) but it was a touchy subject for years, especially when I was doing hair full time and had to stand on a stepstool for some clients. That was embarrassing.
To compensate for being so vertically challenged, I developed a simple “self-motto” a few years ago: “I can be 5’4”, all I need is three inch heels and two inch hair.” (Every time I say this to myself or out loud to anyone else, I fondly remember the precious saying “The higher the hair, the closer to God.” – so true, so true!)
So I may be short in height, but there are a lot of things that I’ll never be “short” on:
I’ll never be short on love for my husband or my girls. There’s plenty of that to go around!
I’ll never be short on humility, for I’ve had plenty of humbling situations in life to remind me how blessed I am each and every day.
I’ll never be short on compassion, for the world is FAR too short on it, and I’d really love to be a changing force in this area, even if I only touch those in my immediate vicinity. That would be enough for me.
I’ll be never be too short on time to give back: back to my family, back to my friends, or back to my community. Again, we need MORE self-sacrifice and selfless acts, not more selfishness.
I’ll never be short on imagination, creativity or inspiration. The day I can’t look at a pile of junk in a thrift store and see treasures waiting to be polished and remade, or look in my pantry at a bunch of bland ingredients and see the potential for a warm wonderful meal for my family just waiting to be created, or see a tired friend with little self-confidence and see the beautiful, bright, vibrant woman just ready to burst out with the help of a few highlights and a little makeup… That’s the day I’ll give up. I don’t ever want to see that day.
I’ll never be short on laughter. I’ll always do my best to see the upside of every situation, the comedy in every stumble, the silver lining in the thunderhead… and I’ll smile. And laugh. Laughter has healing powers, and of this I am 110% certain.
“What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul.” (Yiddish proverb)
So that’s it. That’s me. Here I am, take it or leave it… But I hope you’ll join me in finding something beautiful in anything unpleasant. And I hope you have a good laugh sometime today.