If you’ve ever felt this way — if you’ve ever given a gift that felt a little hollow, or received one that made you wonder if the giver really knows you at all — this post is for you.

Even when we love each other deeply, we don’t always like each other. And that’s okay. It doesn’t make you a bad person. But you’re not stuck with things as they are — you don’t need to be a victim of your family dynamics. You can make things better.

How many people do you know who claim to have a narcissist in their family — or at least know one? It’s become a kind of cultural shorthand referring to anyone we perceive to be overly self-centered.