I read your piece with great interest. The definition of 'dwarf' you provide caught my attention. I've had a few relatives (two, to be exact) who were significantly under 5' tall. They probably would meet you at eye level, given your description :) They would never say exactly how tall they were. These relatives were what you would likely describe as proportionate. They were women, and they were gorgeous. Had no shortage of admirers. They both married men of average height. One of the women had no children and the other had children who all fell within a more "normal" range. It never would have occurred to me that height was a significant problem in the lives of these women, although shopping for age-appropriate clothing was a challenge. It is possible I underestimated the importance of stature in their lives, but they were such attractive people it didn't seem to matter.