Dear Carrie Fisher,

You taught me at a young age what it really meant to be a princess. During my childhood years, all I saw were Disney princesses in pink frilly dresses waiting and searching for a man to rescue them. I thought that girls should be more submissive and dainty. I thought that the only way I could be successful was if I fit into this perfect mold of 'girlhood.'

But you didn't let Princess Leia, your character, fit into that mold. You didn't let Leia wear dresses and sip tea while the men did the fighting. You created a character who was raw, angry, and colorful. Princess Leia fought and cried and made mistakes. She was rude to Hans Solo and prickly to anyone who got in her way. She was extraordinarily human.

And yet, in making Princess Leia so human you also made her unlike unlike any character to grace the screens before. She was unnaturally fierce and feisty. She was incredibly independent. She cast out her fears and led troops and fought wars with poise and grace. She was somehow the perfect balance between feminine and masculine.

She demonstrated that it's okay to put your career first. Yes, she did have a love interest. However, the main plot was not about that. The main point of her character was not to fill some silly romantic trope. It was to thicken the plot and to add complexity to the story. She was a lover, a leader, a daughter, and a sister. She was much more than so many women on screens ever were.

I'm so grateful you decided to audition for the part of Princess Leia. Though you obviously played other roles and did other wonderful things with your life, you will always be Princess Leia to me and many other girls around the world. I know some people hate to be known for one thing and one thing alone. However, I wish you could come back so I could tell you how important that one thing was. The role of Princess Leia forever changed Hollywood and the roles that women could play.

Everyone loved Princess Leia. Everyone loved you.

Thank you Carrie Fisher...

For teaching me that it's okay to be whoever it is I choose to be.

Love,

A Devoted Fan

***Rest In Peace***