If I had never been as daring of a child as I was

There would be no scar presenting itself in the middle of my forehead

I would not have to explain the diagonal line etched into my skin

to new people that I meet

If I did not tag along with my dad everywhere he went,

A little girl following him like a second shadow

I would not notice the architecture on old buildings like he always does

or know the difference between Phillip and Flat

If my mom had never read to me so often as a child

I wonder if my values would be the same

Children’s books packed with lessons and morals

Would never touch me the way it has

If my parents did not crowd the kitchen table

laughing with their friends and sharing stories of when they were young

and I had not been a wide-eyed child soaking in every word,

I would not have the music taste I do today

I would not have the wisdom gained from their mistakes

I would not have realized I am not so bad of a kid after all

If I never asked to play for a travel softball team

I can only imagine how different my life would be

The people I would never meet, the places I would never travel

A huge part of my identity,

would be missing

I am a puzzle  

Each decision shaping a part of me

If one piece was different, who would I be then?