ASK AMY

Dear Amy: Seven years ago my older sister died at 45from cancer.

I recently visited her daughters (now 26 and 23) who live in the Midwest.

They told me they haven’t been in communication with their dad, who lives in the same city, since he remarried last September. According to them, he is focused now on his new wife and her daughters and can see them only if his new wife is present.

I’ve been told by other family members that I should intervene and encourage their dad to connect with his daughters again. I also feel like I should step in with more support to my nieces, but living in New York makes that difficult. Loving Uncle Dear Uncle: Yes, you should be in touch with your nieces’ father. Tell him that you had a great visit with his girls and that they expressed a wish to see him more often. That’s it.

You can be a supportive presence with these young women. Text them now and then, and send them tickets to visit you