This is the reason my life is not a novel.
I think I know why characters in novels are never close with their extended families.
It's because if they were, the fear of messing with the family balance, of shaking things up and potentially disappointing (and/or losing) everyone, would stop them from doing whatever soul-searching or life-discovering reckless thing they were thinking about doing - the thing that drives the story, that makes it all worthwhile.
Lord knows it's that fear I grapple with all the time.
It's because if they were, the fear of messing with the family balance, of shaking things up and potentially disappointing (and/or losing) everyone, would stop them from doing whatever soul-searching or life-discovering reckless thing they were thinking about doing - the thing that drives the story, that makes it all worthwhile.
Lord knows it's that fear I grapple with all the time.