1st of November 2023 I rang my long-lost brother and left my contact details.

[Bretrick]

I also sent him a letter.
The name I found was exactly as my brothers is, with the surname spelt the same, which is very rare in Australia.
Odds of it being him were very high, I would have thought.
No response. Looks like I left it too late. I had his number for at least two years but done nothing about it.
My letter has not been "return to sender".
Most people simply throw letters not addressed to them in the bin. I always repost them with "Not at this address" written on the front.
Though I am a fossil and people will think it foolish to do such a thing these days.

 

[Pepper]

I’m very sorry. Was estranged from my sister and her family for over twenty years. She died two years ago with Alzheimer’s. Tried to contact her over and over. Therefore Bret the fact that you held onto his details for two years does not mean that you and he would have had a chance. Don’t blame yourself

 

[Bretrick]

I’m very sorry. Was estranged from my sister and her family for over twenty years. She died two years ago with Alzheimer’s. Tried to contact her over and over. Therefore Bret the fact that you held onto his details for two years does not mean that you and he would have had a chance. Don’t blame yourself

I had/have 4 siblings. One died in 1988, no idea about the other three.

 

[Jace]

family dynamics can be complicated.
It's best to Live life the best one can

 

[Repondering]

Send him another letter, Bretrick......maybe Christmas would be a good time for it.
Both of my brothers are dead and we were all a bit estranged from one another.
I wish we could still have a chance to mend things between us.
Don't give up on him.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I agree with @Repondering, send a letter or card on significant days like Christmas, birthdays, etc…

The act of writing a few sincere lines and sending them off will help you even if they don’t reach your brother.

Think of it in the same way that many Christians light a candle and say a few words for loved ones when they are in church.

 

[Bretrick]

@Repondering @Aunt Bea
We were on good terms when we parted company. Simply never kept in contact and we have both moved a few times since then.
When I last knew where he lived it was at Paynes Find mining town. Over 400 km from Perth.
So there really is/was no reason for him not to reply.
I reckon he moved and as such there is very little chance of us reconnecting.

 

[C50]

If you're willing to put some work in you can identify the neighbors to the address you have, contact them asking about your brother, maybe they could let you know his status. I've also found doing a Google search can help locate someone who has moved.

I reached out to one of my brothers a couple months ago after not speaking with him since 1998, there was never any drama between us, we simply drifted apart. It was nice to catch up.