Being at one with yourself.

A beautiful meal and a glass of wine with my favorite people and lots of laughter ringing around the table.

Wow, these are big questions! Happiness, as I’ve experienced it and observed it in others, seems to be random—some of us are happy fairly regularly (I am, mostly), and some of us not as much—but there seems to be no clear explanation as to why. It comes and goes at unexpected moments, too. The graph of happiness doesn’t even seem to match what is going on in our lives. Or maybe it does and we don’t know it. Money—is there a connection between money and happiness? It takes away a world of worries and anxieties, but are rich folks all happy? Are you kidding? Donald Trump is ALWAYS scowling. That said, it’s hard to be happy if you don’t know where you’ll sleep or where your next meal is coming from. The pursuit of happiness? Where are we supposed to look? Are there clues hidden somewhere? The very act of searching and striving for it can lead to frustration and unhappiness. I suspect that happiness finds you—I’m not sure you can find a road that leads to it. Happiness is everywhere, though some cultures are, I’ve read, happier overall than others—G.N.P. be damned. Is sunshine one of those things? Are tropical folks generally happier?

Any day spent laughing with friends or family.

Malala Yousafzai, Martina Navratilova, Misty Copeland, and Hillary Clinton.

I’d be more patient, which I didn’t consider a virtue until right this moment.

Overall I’d have to say my earnestness.

A bumpy flight … or driving with my son Sam, who drives great, but I still can’t believe he’s old enough.

When I’m extremely old during a huge family celebration where everyone is playing games and giving pre-written toasts … to me.

That they won’t let me hide.