When I was a kid, I adored my uncle. (Let's call him A.) He was a lot younger than my Dad, his older brother. He used to come and visit us in his red sports car; he brought us books; he talked to my brothers and me as if we were grown-ups.
As we kids got older, A brought his beautiful girlfriend (B) with him on his visits. I loved them both. Then A married B. They had children. We visited them occasionally, but they rarely visited us. Then, I suppose, they moved - as they stopped getting in touch.
Time drifted on. Eventually A got got back in contact with my Dad and my lovely aunt (the sister of Dad and of A). But even then it was one-sided: either Dad or my lovely aunt would phone A. He would very rarely phone either of them back.
Then my Dad got ill. His sister (my lovely aunt) and her (now grown-up) children were around.
Dad died. A came to his funeral. This was 15 years ago. Neither I, my brother, nor my Dad had seen him for at least 10 years. Still, nice of him to come.
Ten years later (5 years ago) my Mum died. My brother contacted A to let him know both that she had died and when the funeral would be, but got no reply.
Now my lovely cousin, daughter of my lovely aunt, has phoned my brother to let us know that A is dying. She (not him) has asked if we would like to see him before he dies.
He is 67. He has 3 children, aged 30 to 40, and naturally I feel sorry for them, and for his wife (B). And of course I feel sorry for A too, as a human being - but even though I remember him from my childhood with much affection, he has not been a part of my life for many years. And of course he may not want to see me or my brother, either - why should he, indeed, seeing as he hasn't made any attempt to keep in touch?
My lovely cousin, though, thinks we might regret it if we don't see A before he dies.
What would you do?