My Fair Lady

“London Bridges falling down, falling down, falling down.
London Bridges falling down, My Fair Lady.”

This childhood song/rhyme resonated through me as I viewed The London Bridge from the flat we stayed in while visiting London. I always wondered about “The Fair Lady,” who is she? I’ve discovered that over the centuries, many prominent women claim to be her including Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII, the mother of Queen Elizabeth I. There is much intrigue and mystery to Anne’s rise to fame and her fall from fame…but is she really “The Fair Lady”? The tales of romance surrounding her and many others are numerous so I’ve decided to take some liberty with literature as I allow you to see me for just a moment as “The Fair Lady” of London.

It happened on our last evening there as John and I joined our friends on a stroll. We stopped on the walkway only to discover the dramatic backdrop of The London Bridge. There we were…a couple joined together by 45 years of marriage in front of the “notorious” and famous Bridge. We decided to embrace and to kiss…and for that moment I fell under the intoxication of The Fair Lady. I was she and she was I. I, too, am a “Fair Lady” with a history that rises and falls with a bit of my own notoriety to boot.

The romance began in 1968. The marriage happened in 1969. It was a beautiful summer day and I was a beautiful, naïve, and hopeful bride. You see this was the day I was supposed to stop my eating disorder. I was confident that marriage was just the event to bring this addiction to a screeching halt. This was my day to be the fairest and most enchanting lady of all. I didn’t want to hide any longer…it had to stop. Yet it didn’t and I fell in my own estimation as an ugly and disgusting bride. I wondered, “Who does this on their wedding day?” Nevertheless, I continued to hide and keep secrets for the next 25 years hoping beyond hope that the next event would be the turning point.

As, you my readers know, by the grace of God, I did recover from my eating disorder. It has been difficult for me to come out from under the shadow of those 25 years. Those years hold a lot of history that is marred by addiction. I have longed for beauty to be present in my stature, my eyes, my voice, my smile and my words. My heart notices some differences as I pursue goodness and blessing for others and myself. It has been a long time coming and I believe it is here.

So that evening on the London Bridge I did have a magical moment of being the fairest of all. My past didn’t define this moment for me. I felt the release of what was on my wedding day to what is now some 45 years later. I discovered it is never too late and I am not too old to experience what is fanciful and romantic. Anne Boleyn has nothing on me…her past got her beheaded…I am still alive even with a past that was tainted and now alive with a future that is glorious. What a life…I love it!

I am trusting, you my friend, will be encouraged to go for the romance this summer wherever you may find it. Live in the present…enjoy the moments however long or fleeting they may be…become The Fair Lady! She lives within you…let her go…

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Mary Jane Hamilton has grown to love her sense of style and her peaceful lake living. Mother of 2 and grandmother of 6, she has a wonderful capacity to love and is still active as The Tooth Fairy. She is extremely fond of her dachshunds, who rarely venture from her lap, and enjoys biking with her husband of 44 years. She is rekindling her writing skills and finding it life giving.
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