NOT counting childbirth, and looking for the right exit off the Boulevard Peripherique — with four children in the back of the car, broken indicators, and the wrong map — placing my child’s future in the hands of a neurosurgeon has been the most immersive experience of my life.

AS USUAL this January, I didn’t start to think of myself as a to-do list and race around at warp speed, signing up for pilates and beginner’s Italian.