"We all sat down at the table, trying from time to time to make conversation.  It seemed that our individual sorrows had separated us, even though we were members of the same family, and we just didn't know how to be of comfort to one another.  I didn't understand at first why we were so changed, because I had always thought that blood was such a strong tie, but as time went on, it became clearer to me that what separated people--or brought them together--was the way they responded to their experiences.  In this, it seemed, no two members of our family were alike."

The Road from Home by David Kherdian.  Such a great book!!!