Throwing a party can be nerve-racking. How do we get over anxiety so we can get together?

It’s Saturday night and the entire back half of the tapas restaurant is packed for my friend Ivy’s birthday dinner.

Ivy is queenly at the centre of the table, bouquets and little gift bags crowding her elbows. Multiple lines of conversation flow above the small plates, and drinks and desserts keep coming, because no one wants to call it a night. It’s an unequivocal success.