Can I be the insane uncle you keep locked in the basement?
Here's a tidbit for you about my experience with family. I love my brothers and my father dearly, but I can only take so much. During the holiday season my AA hall holds huge dinners on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, the doors are open for anyone who wants to join us. So after I've made brief visits with my family, my children and I spend the rest of those days with our loving "family" in recovery. The smiles and laughs we share together on those days make them the best holidays I've ever celebrated, I look forward to them every year. Pretty cool, considering that when I sobered up almost three years ago I thought I'd be miserable and alone on the holidays.