I’ve watched my parents grow old over video calls. It’s a quiet grief I never expected.

Since leaving Venezuela for Canada almost a decade ago, I’ve lived the emotional toll of caring for my aging parents from thousands of kilometres away. All these years of milestones have passed, witnessed only through grainy pixels and a choppy Internet connection.

In this new piece I’ve written for CBC First Person, I share the bittersweet journey of immigration, the guilt of distance, and the new way I’ve learned to love my family.

It means a lot to me and I hope it will resonate not only with the immigrant community, but also with anyone who is caring from afar.

Read it here