I Loved You From Afar

Staten Island Native Authors Children’s Book on Becoming a Grandma During COVID

BY BArBArA rUSSO

Joni Acquafredda became a first-time grandmother on Sept. 8, 2020. She was ecstatic when the baby was born, but like so many other grandparents of babies born during the pandemic, her contact with the child at first was limited to Zoom calls and FaceTime.

As a registered nurse working the front lines during the pandemic, Acquafredda, along with her family, took extra caution around the baby. For several months, the new grandmother—a Lakewood, NJ, resident and former Staten Islander—was only able to see the newborn from a distance, except for the rare occasion when she was able to quarantine beforehand.

She remembers the first time she and her husband met their grandchild for all but a few moments.

“We met at the front door the day they came home from the hospital. I literally saw her in my son’s arms from outside for 10 minutes, and that was it,” Acquafredda recalls.

That night, feeling deep sadness and longing to hold her grandchild, Acquafredda decided to express her feelings through writing.

“I started jotting things down on my phone. I was writing how I felt,” she says.

With encouragement from her family, those notes became the inspiration for her new book, I Loved You From Afar, published by Full Court Press.

The 24-page hardcover was written for children to understand, but anyone who longed for a loved one they couldn’t be near during the pandemic will be able to relate, according to the author.

“The book is about my feelings and everything I was going through at the time,” Acquafredda says. “It’s a labor of love, and when I think about it, I think the book speaks to the hearts of so many women, grandparents, and others who had similar experiences during the pandemic.”

The book was illustrated by Linda Gerecitano, retired elementary school art teacher from Dongan Hills. The author and artist didn’t know each other before collaborating on the book. They were brought together by Acquafredda’s sister who knew the two women had a lot in common. Like Acquafredda, Gerecitano had a grandchild born during the pandemic and experienced the same challenges.

“Joni’s writing resonated with me so much because our experiences were exactly the same—meeting through the glass, the outdoor visits, the FaceTiming,” Gerecitano says. “When I read what Joni wrote, I thought to myself, ‘this is exactly what I’m going through.’ It was so easy to put those words into illustrations.”

Gerecitano’s illustrations throughout the book are based on symbols found in different world cultures, representing values such as unity, harmony, love, and longevity.

Both women hope people who purchase the book treasure it as a keepsake for years to come.

“I don’t think the book is so much relevant now as it will be years from now,” Acquafredda says. “I think it’s a good introduction into what COVID was all about, especially for that situation—the beginning of life for those born during the pandemic.”

The women started the I Loved You From Afar Facebook Group, where members can share their similar pandemic experiences and learn more about the book.

“We created this page so that people can share their stories,” Acquafredda says. “They heard our story, and now we want to hear theirs.”

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