A Toast to Paying Attention!

ON JULY 27, 2008, I took my daughter Anna to her friend Hazel’s birthday party at an outdoor public pool that could be reserved for private parties on weekend mornings. They were both six years old. When we got there around 10 a.m., it was still cold. Anna went off with her friends and most of the adults were busy setting up snacks on tables off to the side. Everyone looked a little nervous. If you have kids, you’ll know that these parties are oddly stressful for parents. It feels like there’s a lot at stake, even though it’s just a bunch of kids going swimming and eating sweets.

I was