Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Given that it’s the day after the 4th of July, I imagine many of us will do a little reflecting on the meaning of that phrase, which sits at the very foundation of our history as a nation, and will likely be repeated with haunting regularity in the coming days.

Since become a parent I think much more about the meaning of that last clause – “the pursuit of happiness” – than I did before my daughter was born. I think about my own happiness, certainly, but much more about hers, and how my partner and I can best make sure she is able to live a life that eventually conforms to whatever version of “happiness” suits her own, personal definition of the term.