From the years 2012-2019 I hardly talked to my parents or siblings at all. I would fly back home to visit one of the two sides of my family during the holiday s

From the years 2012-2019 I hardly talked to my parents or siblings at all. I would fly back home to visit one of the two sides of my family during the holiday season, but that was it. Looking back at those years, I (unconsciously) fit neatly into the mold suggested by this article (an emphasis on personal happiness, rejecting relatives that hold clashing beliefs, resentment from divorce, etc). Ironically due to COVID lockdown in the last 18 months I found both myself and my wife rekindling relationships virtually (video games, discord/zoom calls, random BS texting, snapchat) with uncles, cousins, siblings, and parents that we hadn't really talked to in years. It's honestly been wonderful. If you feel the article speaks to you, I encourage you to give estranged relatives a shot, or at least think about it. It's easiest to maintain momentum not talking to someone at all, but you might be missing out. One thing that worked for me to break the ice was to start a group SMS chat with parents and siblings and just share random goings-on, pictures, etc.