Abe Lincoln once said, “Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Are you happy? What is happiness anyway?

I thought about this the other day while camping out with my daughter in the neighborhood ER. It was an all-day affair because the hospital wanted to run through every conceivable test before ruling out a suspected case of appendicitis.

It turned out to be the most fun we’ve had together in a long time.

For starters, the ER is so new  the Steelcase (SCS) chairs still carry their hang tags. It’s got a fully stocked fish tank, a dedicated pediatric wing, and lots of free healthy snacks! There’s sun and light and everybody seems to be in a good mood.

My attitude is if you’ve got to be in the hospital, might as well make the most of it. I got my appendix removed at age 6 back in the heyday of Kodachrome (EK) when you were allowed to stay for a full week. I found that entire experience to be a grand adventure.

My daughter fell right into the spirit.

Before the ultrasound, we saw the U.S. soccer team stun Spain. Before the CAT scan, we had our own “What would you do if you only had three weeks to live?” conversation. (The two of us just saw a rerun of Queen Latifah in Last Holiday.) We tried out our Spanish-speaking skills using the multi-lingual signs on all the walls. We people-watched with abandon.

When we were finished, we celebrated right across the street with a frozen lemonade at one of our favorite restaurants. I thanked the stars for how lucky I am to have both medical coverage and a job where I could take off without penalty of losing it.

What’s more, it felt really good to function as the kind of mom I strive to be – focused and caring. Competent and fun-loving. Cool, calm and collected.

Earlier in the week, I dropped in at the site of the old CBGBs for a panel called How We’re Living Now. Among the themes articulated was the notion of stepping back to assess if the life you’re living is in keeping with your personal values and beliefs.

One participant was Gretchen Rubin. She is writing a book about her experience test-driving every principle out there for making oneself happy. The very biggest contributors, she says, are knowing yourself, being yourself, and having strong and meaningful personal relationships.

What makes you happy? Weigh in on The Exchange.