I've returned, psyche largely intact. Even the notably black-sheep stepbrother, who I always figure I'm about neck-and-neck with in the parental dis-approval sweepstakes, didn't fall in for much abuse this year (though I was pointedly not around all of the time). I guess the fact that so many grandchildren were around probably kept everyone's minds on the newest generation - the ones who have not yet made as astoundingly bad decisions as my sibling-peers and I have.

Or maybe it's just that we're all another year older.