<p>We can’t always fix everything, especially when we don’t know what caused the alienation. You don’t know if there’s a backstory. So, I agree I’d write a note saying you have been in touch, not too many details, at first- and ask if they wish to be informed on a regular basis. (And, are you certain they haven’t been in contact? I’d get that from an older relative, even when I knew, firsthand, that the others had made efforts. Eg, being there when the call or letter came in.)</p>