It’s been more then a week since beloved actress, Carrie Fisher, passed away. Fisher’s death was one that rocked the world and it will be hard to come to grips with as we move forward throughout this new year.

Fisher was most famous for her role as Princess Leia in the renowned Star Wars franchise, she was the people’s princess but she was so much more than that. Her personality is an unforgettable one, she was funny, open, highly intelligent and quite the truth teller. A famous author, Fisher exposed her flaws often and talked about them openly, even making cracks at her own expense.

Fisher suffered from the mental health disorder Bipolar and struggled with drug addiction in the 1980s. She coped with both and beat her addiction and became an avid speaker for both. According to Forbes.com Fisher’s frankness helped normalize the discussion of mental illness and addiction issues that plague us. Fisher didn’t let her problems destroy her and survived it, becoming sober.

As an honor for her efforts, Harvard awarded her with the annual Outstanding Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism. On biography.com, Harvard is quoted saying “her forthright activism and outspokenness about addiction, mental illness, and agnosticism have advanced public discourse on these issues with creativity and empathy."

Fisher was a multi-talented icon. Not only did she leave us with one of the strongest female characters ever but she was also a talented screenwriter, producer, and poet. She contributed to various scripts, becoming one of the top script doctors in Hollywood and she released quite a few different books based on the drama in her life. One of her novels “Postcards from the Edge” was turned into a movie that starred Meryl Streep.

Fisher wasn’t just talented though, she was also a wonderful role model for younger kids and girls. She wasn’t perfect and she admitted it, she spoke her mind but always told the truth, she learned fully from her mistakes, and she didn’t place so much emphasis on body image. Whenever she was asked about her weight during interviews, she dismissed it and steered the conversation onto more important topics. When searching for a strong female icon, Fisher definitely comes to mind.

Carrie Fisher was one of a kind and not your typical celebrity, she was a very strong and wonderful person. Her legacy, life and inspiration will be remembered and celebrated for generations to come. Rest In peace, Carrie Fisher, may the force be with you always, thanks for all you gave us.