Ask Amy: Aunt wants to step in where Dad won’t tread

Dear Amy: My brother has been married twice.

He and his first wife had two children. During the divorce, he tried to gain custody of the children, but she was awarded custody, and he stayed in contact with his two children for a while. But then things turned for the worst when she accused my brother of child abuse. She also physically threatened him.

He decided not to have any contact with her or his children. He told the family that we shouldn’t contact them or their mother.

He had another child in his second marriage, which ended when their child was in elementary school. He hasn’t seen that child in years.

In typical fashion, nobody in our family wanted to talk about it.

When one of my nephews was graduating from high school, he contacted me to ask me why their father wasn’t coming to graduation.

It was heartbreaking to hear the sadness in his voice, but I abided by my brother’s wishes not to connect them.

We are now older, and his children are young adults.

I don’t see my brother often. No one in the family ever mentions these children.

I think about my nephews often and wish that they were a part of the family.

I would like to contact them.