The Top Shelf

My dad was a tad over six feet tall, while Mom barely hit five feet. Most of my sisters have Mom's short gene, and none of the boys hit six feet, but in my family, the brothers are taller than my sisters. At 5' 8", I'm not really short, but I'm not tall either. I guess I'm just right.

In our house, it was common to hear Mom ask, "Can you get that down for me?" She was referring to something too high to reach in a cabinet. The boys were always happy to help; the girls had the same issue Mom did. But there were solutions.

As kids, we always had a step stool in or near the kitchen to reach items...