On Tuesday, the world lost a princess and all around marvelous woman. Carrie Fisher died "drowned in moonlight, strangled by [her] own bra," after several days of fighting for her life in a Los Angeles ICU unit. She was 60 years old, and best known for her role as Princess Leia Organa in the Star War franchise.
However, for many Carrie was not just a character on the big screen. She was a mother, daughter, careerwoman, friend to her many co-stars, dog-lover, and advocate. She was a spitfire who made her on-screen fight against the fascism of the Empire into real-life activism. She didn't allow anyone to tell her that she was too old or needed to change her body for her return to the silver screen. She took a stand for her health accommodations and by extension others. She beat addiction and lived with bipolar disorder for her whole life. She even brought her adorable emotional support dog, Gary, with her to red carpets and events.
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We watched her grow from a young woman...
... into a grown woman.
She taught all of us that sometimes you need to take life a bit less seriously and just have fun, no matter your age.
And she put her personal life on display when it would be beneficial to others in her position. She has spoken candidly about her family life growing up, her former drug use, and even about electroconvulsive therapy that she received. For this tireless work to explain her mental health to a world of neurotypical people (or people who do not have mental disorders), she earned herself several honors and awards.
She was an amazing spirit who will be sorely missed, from her iconic emoji-filled tweets, to her unstoppable ambition. Her family and friends are in my thoughts, but I hope wherever Carrie is now she knows what an impact she has made and how many lives she's touched. Carrie, may the force be with you, always.
