Picking the Pieces Up Along the Way

I’ve heard it said that home isn’t a place,
but it isn’t a person either.
Instead, home is something you find
with all the pieces you pick up along the way.
Pieces that when put together create who you are.

Once I did hear this,
I couldn’t help but to wonder
what my little pieces are.
And after taking the time to think about it,
I believe I’ve finally figured it out.

The people I’ve encountered
are some of my pieces.
Some of these people include:
Danny, Analisa, Courtney,
Samantha, Svenice and Mikaela.
And there are plenty of others,
but I couldn’t list them all.

But they’re people who have helped me.
They’re people who have taught me lessons.
They’re people who have given me experiences.
They’re people who have given me memories,
and have put me through hardships.
They’re people who never judged me,
and so allowed me to grow into myself.

Cosplaying, dancing, reading and writing
are another four pieces of mine.
They’re hobbies that I very much enjoy.
Cospalying have given me the chance
to meet brand new people
without all the awkward tension.
Dancing has given me the chance
to use my body in the most graceful way.
Reading have given me the chance
to live in many different worlds,
and live multiple different lives.
Writing has given me the chance
to express myself in imaginative ways.

I’ve also been able to find pieces of myself
in my goals and hopes and dreams and desires.
I’ve found myself in my goal to get published.
I’ve found myself in my hope of being free.
I’ve found myself in my dream of escaping.
I’ve found myself in my desire to travel.

The only catch is that
the pieces aren’t always good things.
After all, there’s light and dark
that grows within everyone.
That’s something that can’t be helped.

So, some of my pieces also include
my depression and my anxiety.
My depression has taught me
how much weight I can hold.
My anxiety has taught me
how much pressure I can handle.
And they have both taught me
how far I can bend without breaking.

But these are only some of the pieces
I’ve picked up along the way.
And I know there are many left for me to find.
Just like I know that in the end,
when I’m able to put the pieces together,
I’ll know who I am and I’ll be at home.