I always wondered why I was born tall.

Okay, yes, genetically it's because my dad is tall, but I have always felt that there was some deeper purpose as to why I have all this body.

'Cause there's a lot of body. Like over six feet, which is way taller than the average woman!

Was I made for standing out, inspiring others to embrace their height? Was I secretly made for blocking shots and playing center on a WNBA basketball team (as most ignorant strangers often assume)? Was I made for modeling?

There could be plenty of reasons as to why I was bestowed with this grand stature, but one of my favorite reasons comes from a dear friend of mine, Scott.

Scott was my manager at work, and every time I brought up another customer making a tall joke, or sharing a story of someone peeking behind the bar to check and see if I wasn't on stilts, or bringing up another situation in which a guy tells me I'm intimidating (seriously, I'm so done with that statement), Scott would smile and in his Southern accent say:

"Elan, God made you tall so everyone could see your beautiful smile."

And man, that sentiment has stuck with me.

I mean, I know I got a big ole grin, and I’ve been told that I’m the smiley sort of girl, but what Scott said to me had me looking at myself through someone else's eyes.

What if I was born tall so everyone could see my cheek to cheek grin, contagiously causing them to smile as well? I think there’s always room for more cheery people in this world. It's disarming to others, and it makes the wearer feel good.

I thank Scott for his kind words, for not only did it make me feel good (and therefore smile even bigger), but his compliment inspired me to inspire others to embrace their uniqueness; in my case, my height.

And you can guarantee that the next time someone makes a joke about my height, I'll smile extra big and remember that I was made tall so that everyone could see my beautiful smile.