Dear Abby: I just met my brothers daughter that no one knew existed

DEAR ABBY: I had my DNA analyzed and subsequently received a message from a young woman (a stranger) on the site.Her DNA matches at the level of a niece.

Her message said she did not know her father, and her mother hasn’t been clear on that subject.Her mother “met a guy” back in early 1990.

She was born later that year.She believes I’m her uncle and asked if I know any male relatives who could be her father.

I responded, letting her know I’d get back to her. When I spoke with my brother, he corroborated details in her message about meeting her mother, which was a hookup.The news of a daughter he never knew about is overwhelming for him as he currently has a kid, and his wife is pregnant again.

(He also has an adult daughter from a previous marriage.) I have not yet responded to this woman as I await my brother’s decision about how he wants to proceed.What advice do you have about how I should respond to my “niece”? — MAYBE UNCLE IN TEXASDEAR MAYBE UNCLE: You should not be the middleman from now on.

Respond to the young woman by telling her you are giving her contact information to your brother.Once you have done that, you should let him decide how to handle it from there. DEAR ABBY: I have a persecution complex.

I know where it comes from.My mother repeatedly told me how ugly I was as a child.

Recently, I was going through some rough times.My sister, who I was in charge of, had a massive stroke and subsequently died.

I’d had to take care of her, and I resented it.When she had the stroke, I began reminiscing, and not all of the memories were good ones. I happened upon a picture of my family taken when I was 10.

My older sisters and parents were also in the photo.When I showed the photo to my friend, her reaction left me speechless.

She practically threw the phone down and said, “What an ugly family! Your mother is ugly and fat, and your father is ugly, too!” She continued with more of the same.Other than that, she’s a kind and ...