And just to add to what Sam said about your comment that dad seems to like to take the joy from your life - our witness relatives and old friends really don't want us to be happy.  Isn't that a terrible fact?!  But it's true.  I remember so often when we would be talking about someone who had become "inactive" or had been d.f.'d, and we would say "I don't want anything tragic to happen to her, I just want something bad enough to happen so it will wake her up!"  That attitude shows such disrespect for a person's free will to choose how to worship.  

So our parent's don't ask about us - how we are or what things we've been doing, because they are afraid that our answers will be positive.  The only thing they want to hear from us is that we are sad and lonely and very depressed.  I don't know how old you are inspecter, but can you imagine actually wishing your children were miserable?  

Maybe writing a letter to your dad that you never actually send would be therapeutic.  I have thought about doing this.  haveagoodday

Valerie