In our family, I would say my 11 yr old SW-CAH son always being happy is due to his personality. He is always upbeat, very rarely gets angry, sad, frustrated, depressed or unhappy. He is always being asked what he is so happy about, he just shrugs his shoulders like he just doesn’t understand or comprehend any other way to be! Through the ups and downs of over and under-suppression, I have never, ever seen a difference in his personality!! A change in his mental well-being certainly does not seem to be obvious as far as CAH is concerned. May I just add, if this is indeed hereditary, he obtained this "happy gene" from his father, certainly not me!! I think I am rather grumpy! :) Lucky him! And lucky Aimee! I do think that being happy is a state of mind. As Alexandra Stoddard always says, "Happiness is a choice, not something that is due to you!". I often tell Ben and his sister something my Mom always told me growing up: "Don’t ever expect anyone or anything else to make you happy! You have to make your own happiness!". I think the happiest people figure that out earlier than some others and just go on as if there is no other way. As a matter of fact, just typing about happiness has put a smile on my face!! I’m happy!!  :)

ValerieD