What if I had not been born prematurely?

I just had the thought, what if I had been born on or around my actual due date instead of prematurely? I realized that my life would (could) be dramatically different.

I was due on Thanksgiving (end of November) of '80. Instead I was born 6 weeks early on October 13th. My mom had a high risk pregnancy (pregnancy induced hypertension) and was hospitalized in Mississippi even though we were living in Florida.

I would most likely have been born the first week of December if there had been no problems in the pregnancy (with 1st time mommies usually giving birth 1-2 weeks after assigned due date) I would have been born in Florida not in Mississippi.The most profound effect is that I would have started school a year later. They let me slide- I guess if you were born Sept 1 or earlier they would let you start, but they made an exception for me (which they most likely wouldn't have had I been born in December) and I started Kindergarden at age 4.

I was born weighing 3' 11 oz (tiny!) and the first few years of my life I had some respiratory problems. So I image those around me were probably a little protective of me. I was seen as little Kimmy. What if I had been born regular sized with no problems? Might I have been viewed, or raised, differently?

I believe I probably would have lived in the same places, but just would have been in a different grade. I would have started school in the states in 2nd grade instead of 3rd. I remember having trouble with 3rd grade math because in 2nd grade in England I had learned British currency and when I moved to the US pennies, nickles, dimes, quarters, and dollars seemed foreign to me. I didn't do well at math as a result and I did poorly in math classes (as I had no confidence in myself on the subject) until I came across my 10th grade Alegbra teacher whose teaching style just made sense to me. So, would this have changed my grades and my academic interests? My major in college?

I may have not have met my Karen, Rebecca, Julia, Robin and Jessie (my friends in Florida when I was 7-11 yrs old) because I wouldn't have been in the same grade as them. Because they are still in my psyche, they influenced the way that I think about things (some good, some bad).

I would not have started high school in Nebraska. My 9th grade was such an important year. Rachel G. influenced me to try out for cheerleading (something I had no interest doing on my own). The friends I made, the crushes on boys I had, would all be different.

I would have started high school in Texas. I may not have participated in TKD because I would not have met Amy B. I may not have met my long term long-distance boyfriend at the time and the implications of that are staggering. Most importantly, I may not have had any experience with church (and thus may have come to my relationship with God by a different means) because I had no interest in going, but Amy B asked me so many times I eventually said yes.

Looking back I realized that I identified more with the class behind me ('99, and somewhat with the class of '00 although less so) than I did with my own graduating class. My parents divorced in '98. So the question is, would I have remained with my Dad in Texas or moved in with my mom in Louisiana? Would I have ended up going to college in NY or in MT (where my parents prospectively ended up moving to)? Or Texas or Florida?

I most likely would not have met the people I met in Florida. And thus, my spiritual journey would look remarkable different. Would I have met my husband or would I be married to someone else? Would I have the kids I have now?

I guess I'm thinking about this because, while I know that I have choices in life that direct the way my life goes, I feel as if it were my destiny to have been born 6 weeks early, as my life would look remarkably different had I been born "on time." As there are no answers as to what could have happened, I can only marvel at God's perfect timing and plan for my life.