I’ve been estranged from my adopted dad and step-sisters for years (20+), primarily due to my Dads drinking (blackout drunk level). Then my niece reaches out to me on FB and wants to get us all together again. They were having a Bday party for my dad and wanted me to come to surprise him.
Everything was great. Lots of hugs. Lots of talk about old times. Dad hasn’t had a drink in years.
What’s bugging me is how little curiosity there was on their part about my life. No questions about what I’ve been doing. Not even the basics like “What do you do for work?” “How did you meet your partner?”… nothing. After the party I created a group message to share pics and chat on occasion, but I received nothing back.
Since that time communication has dwindled and I hear nearly nothing anymore. All the old feelings of distance and disconnectedness have come back. I felt these things when I was a child and was another factor in my decision to go no contact. The time period since reconnection has been about 4 years now.