My name is Bree Wijnaar, and I'm a 6'4'' woman who unashamedly loves to rock a cute pair of heels. For years people have questioned my decision to add an extra two to four inches to my already towering frame, as if it were wrong of me to want to feel just as much of a woman as my smaller lady friends. I admit that I wasn't always so confident with my height, and that it took some time to accept that being different was nothing to be ashamed of.
I was born in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, where the regal and powerful name Brunnhilde was bestowed upon me. Growing up in the “land of the tall," it wasn't uncommon to see men and women of exceptional height, however, I never imagined that I would be one of the few anomalies that would walk the halls of my high school. I was a little taller than average, but nothing noticeable until about the age of 10. Mother Nature had some interesting plans for me, and I started growing at a pace that was off the charts. I would grow out of clothes literally weeks after I had gotten them, and within the family there was a general feeling of “What on earth is happening to Brunnhilde?"
You can imagine that I was a fascinating phenomenon for doctors as well, who estimated that I would grow about six feet tall. There were frequent visits to keep a close eye on my growth, which in time revealed that their calculations were inaccurate as I grew well past the six-foot mark.
By age 14, I was a 6'4 teenager with size 14 feet and the curves of a grown woman. How do you like them apples?!
Being an unusually tall teenage girl made standing out from the crowd easy and admittedly uncomfortable. People would stare at me a lot, especially since tripping over my own feet was a regular occurrence as I attempted to adjust to my incessantly growing body. Boys were intimated by my size, so I wasn't often asked out on dates, and I would pass on going on shopping trips with my girlfriends because most retail stores didn't carry my size.
And then there were the questions and comments from strangers whenever I would go out and about:
“How tall are you?"
“Do you play ball?"
“How tall are your parents?"
“How is the weather up there?"
The comments and stares seem to multiply whenever I'd throw on a pair of heels. It seemed as if I couldn't go one day without being judged and analyzed by strangers looking for justification as to why I would want to be any taller than I was.
As a teenage girl just trying to adjust to the transition into adulthood, I struggled to manage the unsolicited attention. I masked my insecurities with humor and overconfidence as I maneuvered through those uncomfortable encounters.
But one day I decided that enough was enough, and that it was time to embrace the thing that I couldn't change. I accepted who I was and began to learn to love my beautiful, long legs and the heels that made them look even more amazing.
Today, at 32-years-old, I can sincerely say that I am very proud of my height and I would not change it for the world. For me, having a clear overview of the room standing at 6'6 in my lowest heels is a powerful feeling. On an average night out you can find me standing up straight and enjoying the view—people watching like everyone else, but with a 6'6 first class seat. I have learned how to take full advantage of my tall stature, and to use my voice to speak on the unique challenges and opportunities that woman of height experience.
To my fellow tall sisters, I hope you choose to wear what makes you feel beautiful, elegant, empowered, comfortable and ready to take on the world. Embrace who you are, and dare to be different!
Are there any tall sisters who can relate to my experience? Share your story below!
Bree is the founder of The Tall Society--a supportive online community bringing together tall woman worldwide. Follow her movement on Instagram at @thetallsociety.
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Certain zodiac signs feel more connected to gifts that are more nostalgic or sentimental, and that make them feel like you have been listening. For example, Cancer loves all things vintage and would love a gift that has a history or that reminds them of theirs. A Libra, on the other hand, is more geared toward luxury items and would feel loved by receiving something luxurious and pricey, and is more focused on the aesthetically pleasing aspect of the gift.
Aries, a fire sign that is independent and is usually the one doing the gift-giving for themselves, would find appreciation in a gift that is unique, one-of-a-kind, and that reflects their personality.
When we look at the elements in Astrology, we are talking about fire signs, earth signs, air signs, and water signs. Each element has different needs, interests, and outlooks and can be identified through the things they love. Fire signs resonate with exciting and unique gifts, whereas water signs need something that will connect to them emotionally over all else. Earth signs value gifts that they feel like you took your time choosing, and air signs love gifts that can provide more value or add to their lives.
Let’s look at the perfect gift guide for the zodiac signs, and what you should look for when doing your holiday shopping this year:
Holiday Gift Ideas for Fire Signs
Nobody knows themselves and loves themselves like a fire sign does. The perfect gift for this confident soul involves something personalized, custom, or that resonates with their fiery personality. Fire signs love color, patterns, and more specifically, things that no one else has or that are hard to get.
This is a sign you want to plan ahead for this holiday season, and you should gift them something that reminds them of how special and unique they are.
Holiday Gift Ideas for Earth Signs
Earth signs value what is practical, and that includes their gifts. These are signs that you should think about if they are going to use, and that would make their life easier in some way. Earth signs are the hard-working signs of the zodiac and need a gift that is going to make sense for their everyday life. They also love the more earthy and natural gifts like crystals and gemstones, organic items, candles, sustainable products, and shopping from small businesses they support.
Holiday Gift Ideas for Air Signs
Air signs value accumulating assets and prize possessions. They usually have impeccable taste, and they expect the same type of attention to detail with the gifts they receive. They are less sentimental signs, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to be shown how much they are loved; they just want to be shown in a more beautiful and aesthetically pleasing way.
Air signs have the perfect balance of cool and chic, intelligent and creative, and your gifts should reflect that.
Holiday Gift Ideas for Water Signs
Water signs are ruled by their emotions and value gifts that have meaning. They want to know that you thought about their heart and the things that they love, as they would do the same for you. Water signs love a gift that has history and that gives them a sense of nostalgia or meaning. They also take value in gifts of adornment like jewelry, interior design pieces, and things they can look at and be reminded of daily.
These are signs you want to get creative with when gift-giving, and you should give them something that has a story.
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