The Unexpected Gain of Giving Away

It was my dream for as long as I can remember, back when a girl imagined a Prince Charming and a palace full of children: I’d be the mom who baked homemade chocolate-chip cookies for her children every day after school. I knew my children would giggle with glee at the surprise on the kitchen counter, the chocolate still soft.

Thus, when I married, it didn’t take long to set up a mixer and buy butter, sugar, and vanilla. I filled my cabinets with all the makings for magic. Even before child...