Unconditional love is the purest form of affection, where you express love for someone or something without expecting anything in return. It’s a selfless and genuine act that adds depth and purpose to your life, allowing you to find happiness and strength despite life’s challenges. In a world that often feels uncertain, stories of unconditional love serve as powerful beacons of hope, reminding us of the inherent goodness in the world.
Love inspired eighty-one-year-old Anthony R. Balista to write an incredible book for the love of his life, his wife, Marie. Anthony, also known as Tony to his loved ones, and Marie crossed paths many times before finally coming together after experiencing personal betrayals. Their love faced challenges from all sides: family disapproval, a frightening illness, and the struggle to come together amidst their own scars and inner turmoil.
Titled Our Own Westside Love Story: With Words from Tony to Marie Including Poems Born of Enduring Love, the book tells the story about two star-crossed souls has the power to shape a family for generations to come. In his exclusive interview with Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Kate Delaney on the syndicated radio program “America Tonight with Kate Delaney,” Tony shared heartwarming details about their love story and his book, which tells a story of hope, redemption, healing, and the unwavering resilience of unconditional love.
Love Begins in Unexpected Place
Tony and Marie met purely by accident. While Tony was in the market in his hometown, he went to a personnel agency. Despite knowing about the agency for years, he did not know who Marie was, but she happened to be at the agency’s counter.
“(She) said she would be willing to look over my resume and talk about job market. And so I came back a couple hours later for an interview with her. And at that point, I asked her to dinner because I was bored. I’d been on 54 days of leave,” Tony shared.
Tony said there are some things he can’t describe beyond words to describe Marie and living with her. For him, Marie is a miracle. They had been married for 33 years until he lost her to complications from a quadruple bypass surgery, a heart surgery.
Enduring Love Keeps Us Alive
Many struggle to find meaning in this world, especially when losing the person, they love most. Some people keep their departed loved ones alive through wondrous means such as a work of art. In Tony’s case, he keeps Marie’s memory alive through his book. Our Own Westside Love Story is a testament to their enduring love, which did not end even in death.
With Marie being his poetic muse, Tony created his poetry collection. He talked about how he wrote his poems.
“Well, I have written some of these poems years ago, and some I wrote in retrospect because she’s constantly on my mind. I mean, it’s been 10 years since I lost her, but I still, every week, I take fresh-cut flowers to her grave. She deserves that for what she gave me.
And these poems are just what I felt about her. You know, you can write a poem. You know, you can feel something or you can say something. You can express your feelings. Now, you can scream and yell, rant and rave, or you can, you know, laugh or cry or whatever,” Tony said.
He added that what a person feels inside is always stronger than what they can express. And so the poems express his love for her. Despite this, Tony feels that his words won’t probably do Marie justice.
“I just never it’s like the poem you know by Joyce Kilmer you know full poems are made by fools like me but only God can make a tree and you know only, only God could make Marie so I don’t ever think I will ever fully pay her justice by what I’ve said about her,” Tony explained.
An Ode to Unconditional Love
Immerse yourself in the poignant, poetic letters between Tony and Maria, which offer a rare and intimate glimpse into the world of a real family. Our Own Westside Love Story: With Words from Tony to Marie Including Poems Born of Enduring Love is a powerful reminder that love can conquer all, navigating through life’s highs and lows.
The book is for anyone who seeks to witness a story of hope, redemption, healing, and the unwavering resilience of unconditional love. It is now available on Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. Don’t miss Anthony R. Balista’s full interview with Kate Delaney on ReadersMagnet’s official YouTube channel.
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