On the beach in Koh Lanta, a woman came up to us through the sand, her clothes billowing in the wind, her wide-brimmed straw hat secured with a scarf under her chin. I watched her somehow manage a large board of beaded necklaces without it flipping from her fingers. Suddenly, birdlike, she landed by my mat.
I had glanced too long.
Our 4-year-old, Anakin, grew excited. Yes, I told him, you’re right, the beads are lovely. Yes, I know you like the one with the skull and crossbones, but we can’t buy everything. Really. I mean that.
