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My advice to you is never give up, whatever comes your way; it is all worth it.

Sylvia Anthony, from Till the End of Time, A Word from the Author

Introduction

Sylvia Anthony’s Till The End of Time, written in 2015, is the story “persistence, love, failure, and success in a woman’s life”. Anthony had many successes and setbacks in her personal and professional life; subsequently, her strong faith in God’s unconditional love and power enabled her to open Sylvia’s Haven for homeless women and children; Sylvia Haven continues to serve residents despite their life circumstances today. As of this writing, Anthony is now 94 years old and still running Sylvia’s Haven. She is living proof that no one, male or female, young or old, is limited on what they can achieve in life. And that is a primary reason why I am inspired by Sylvia Anthony’s story; it is possible to achieve whatever you feel called to do, despite the challenges and obstacles you face along the way.

Beginnings

The narrative is written like a diary in the third person. It is like Sylvia is recounting her own life and how she felt called to establish Sylvia’s Haven. She begins her story at the beginning, recalling how she grew up in an abusive family that she was determined to leave as soon as she could. Sylvia chose to write the book as an autobiography instead of writing “I did this” or: “I did that” throughout the book.

She was married twice; her first husband was Ted, whom she married at 18. Twelve years and three children later, she divorced him; Sylvia said that her three children were the only positive thing about their marriage. Her second husband was Rick; he raised Sylvia’s children as if they were his own. Rick also brought Sylvia closer to God and helped set up Sylvia’s Haven. She recounts her relationship with Tony; although she never married him, Tony was always there for her throughout her life.

Sylvia began writing the book in 2000 shortly after the death of her friend Tony, who also helped her get Sylvia’s Haven up and running. The beginning of the book shows certificates naming her a Point of Light and an Ambassador for Peace. About halfway through the book, Sylvia begins to include chapters of the individual stories of the residents of Sylvia’s Haven and how they got there. The last part of the book is devoted to testimonials from some of the residents whose lives were changed forever by Sylvia’s Haven; they were appreciative of Sylvia’s support in helping change their lives.

The Origins of the Book

Till The End of Time was not Anthony’s first book, but her fourth. She briefly talks about how she wanted to title her second book “Till the End of Time”; Sylvia eventually renamed it Sylvia’s Haven, which was her story of how she began her life’s work in her 80s.

Sylvia recounted in the book that an assistant asked her if she considered publishing the book. Sylvia said yes, accepting his help in getting it published because he was an expert in computers. Sylvia soon realized the task of publishing a book proved more challenging than she had anticipated. Sylvia made correction after correction and designed the book’s cover herself.

Sylvia recalled how one day she approached her pastor to get his opinion on “a particular portion of the book before it was published.” Once the published books were delivered, Sylvia gave her pastor the first copy; her pastor then announced to the congregation that Sylvia had written a book and copies would be available for sale. Sylvia was very grateful for her pastor’s help after the challenges of publishing a book ranging from printing to press releases and the costs involved with each step. By 2015, a revised version of Sylvia’s Haven became Till The End of Time

Faith and Perseverance Despite Challenges

Anyone who reads the book cannot help but be impressed by the achievements Anthony accomplished despite her early and difficult life. Throughout her life, she relied on her faith; she always accepted whatever happened to her as God’s will. Through her faith, Anthony knew she was never alone, even in her most difficult challenges. She always put her trust in God to help her accomplish what others said could not be done.

How Sylvia’s Faith Helped Through Illness

Sylvia wrote about finally getting a diagnosis of cancer of the uterus after years of hemorrhaging. By then, she had established Sylvia’s Haven. However, she wasn’t making a lot of money, had no insurance and wasn’t taking a salary.

While she was hospitalized and running Sylvia’s Haven, Sylvia revealed that she prayed the evening following the CAT scan. She continued she fell asleep as she prayed. While Sylvia slept, she had a vision of Christ looking down at her, sending sheets of protection that helped cure everything Sylvia was suffering, from her respiratory system to her soul. When Sylvia woke up, she felt much better than she ever had in her life, with “no aches, no pains, just perfect”. This appeared to be the answer to her prayer about whether she should continue running Sylvia’s Haven; Sylvia was ready to accept death if that was God’s will for her, believing “it’s better up there than it is here”. She noted that the cancer hasn’t returned since.

Sylvia and Tony

Tony was described as Sylvia’s first love in the second chapter “First Love”. She wrote that Tony “was the true love of her life”. They started dating when she was 15 years old; soon Tony; began to visit Sylvia daily after school. They had an on again, off again relationship where they would break up and then get back together. For example, Sylvia remembered that although another girl was interested in Tony, he told the girl he loved Sylvia. She also recalls how his brothers, who had just returned from the war, suggested that Tony was too young at 16 to have a serious girlfriend once they found out about Sylvia. As a result, Tony told her he no longer wanted to go steady, but he continued to visit her. Sylvia recounted the time Tony asked Sylvia if he could borrow her high school graduation picture to show his brothers. Eventually, Tony’s whole family knew who Sylvia was. She wrote how she ultimately became friends with one of his sisters after meeting her at a dance. Sylvia wrote that Tony “always treated her with great respect and politeness” and always considered her a friend no matter what was going on in their lives.

Relationship with Tony in Later Years

Tony was always there for Sylvia throughout their lives. She wrote about how after a night in, he would take her to her room and give her a kiss goodnight. Sylvia also wrote about how Tony was helpful to her when she was on vacation during the winter months to escape the cold. Tony would take her to the airport and pick her up when she returned. He would also shovel her sidewalk and entrance to her home no matter how much it snowed. Sylvia wrote about one time when she was on vacation, it snowed three times; Tony shoveled all three times. She wrote how much Tony enjoyed being “the unofficial caretaker of her property when she was gone”. As Sylvia wrote, “That was just Tony”.

When Tony helped her set up Sylvia’s Haven, including helping her find suitable buildings and interpret zoning requirements. Sylvia also writes about how Tony assisted the young women Sylvia took into Sylvia’s Haven. For example, Tony drove a resident to the hospital as she was preparing to give birth; as needed, Tony also took residents to doctor appointments and the grocery store. Tony continued helping Sylvia until his death in 2000. Following his funeral, Sylvia went through his wallet. The wallet contained two things Tony had kept for over 50 years: a photo of Sylvia at age 21, and a letter she had written him when she left him for Rick.

Why This Book is Recommended Reading

Throughout her life, Sylvia never let anything get her down; she survived being beaten at a young age, suffering injuries that would affect her during her life; she also witnessed an older cousin’s death when she was very young. She begun Sylvia’s Haven despite the odds against her, including being a woman. Sylvia started Sylvia’s Haven because she felt called to “have a shelter for homeless women and children, and the heart after all I had been through to understand their plight”.

The book is not just about her, but also about the people she helped through Sylvia’s Haven. Sylvia always relied on her faith, no matter what. It is an easy read, the type of book that is hard to put down. It is not a dry autobiography but reads more like a diary where Sylvia writes about different situations and how it affected her, for good and ill. Sylvia’s story is inspiring because no matter what financial, relationship, family and business obstacles she faced, she always relied on her faith to help her get through it.

Till The End of Time is a book that is for everyone who has been told they can’t do anything, especially women of a “mature” age. Sylvia’s story proves that with faith and determination, nothing is impossible.

About The Author

Inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquis Who’s Who. Sylvia Anthony is a woman of faith, courage, tenacity and love. Her story shows that no matter a person’s background, age, or season in life, when we make ourselves available to God, He is able to accomplish great things through us. Sylvia believes “the golden years” are a time to gear up and get busy, not relax and take it easy. She has faced many hardships in her 90 years, but they have made her stronger and more determined. As founder and president of Sylvia’s Haven which became the second largest in the country, she has helped transform thousands of lives for more than thirty-five years! This organization is everything to Sylvia Anthony, even calling it her “magnificent obsession!” Life hasn’t been easy throughout the years, but Sylvia firmly believes that God not only gives her courage during times of hardship, but also keeps her healthy so that she may realize a dream of hers which is to open a Sylvia’s Haven shelter in all 50 states

Excerpt from The Extraordinary Woman Behind Sylvia’s Haven | WebWire