Carrie Fisher (1956-2016)

I remember always being struck by Leia.  Not in the obvious, crush sort-of way, but being struck by her character, her personality.

She was bold.  Witty.  She had an air of no fucks given, but still managed to maintain a sense of poise, a sense of grace.  A royal charm.

She’s one of few female characters as strong, if not stronger than her male counterparts, the likes of Darth Vader, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker.  And because of Star Wars, it was always easier for me to believe in strong female characters on the big screen.

So when I think of Carrie Fisher, I don’t think of the real Carrie Fisher, who was brilliant in her own right. I think of Leia.  How much of a force she was, how much of a force she became, and how much of a force she remains for generations to come.