What it means to be a princess

When I was a little girl, I really disliked the Disney princesses of the day. Cinderella in particular was one of my least favourites. Here is a girl who has a really rough life, then with the help of a magical fairy Godmother, she attends a ball where a prince just falls in love with her. He never asks her name or talks to her. It's really just an elaborate dance. Then she has to dash out at the stroke of midnight and all he has left of her is a glass slipper. He decides to go around town trying to find the magical foot it fits into. I guess all the women of the time had fat, large feet except for Cinderella. He does manage to find her and voila! They live happily ever after.

The message of this cartoon is this: yes, your life might suck, but if you are pretty enough, and with some magic make-over, you can land yourself a rich guy and never have to worry about anything ever again. Blech!

Then came two princesses who changed my life. One was Princess Diana of Themyscira, otherwise known as Wonder Woman. She was (and still is) an iconic warrior princess. When I was little there was the wonderful Wonder Woman series starring Lynda Carter. In this version, Wonder Woman was an agent for a very important federal organization (unlike the cartoons for some odd reason, where she was Steve Trevor's secretary). She was just as tough as Superman, just as smart as Batman, and could hold her own against any man.

The other princess who changed my life was Princess Leia, portrayed by Carrie Fisher. While she was captured in the first Star Wars movie, she quickly became the leader of her own rescue party and didn't take crap from anyone. One of my favourite lines in the first movie was when Leia was scolding Han, stating, "Look... I don't know who you are or where you came from, but from now on you do as I say, okay?" Boom! Powerful and defined her as a strong leader. She faced the destruction of her entire planet, didn't break down and held strong to her principles and ultimate goal, which was to fight for the freedom of the galaxy.

Both of these characters were truly feminist icons that changed my way of thinking what it means to be a girl. Girls didn't have to be passive, didn't need a man doing things for them, and could be powerful leaders. It changed everything in my life from such a young age. I feel it's why I learned to be a strong, independent woman who can take care of things all by myself. Yes, there were times I thought differently and it did take me awhile to accept it, but I did learn it was okay to be a strong woman.

This morning I woke up to the terrible news that Carrie Fisher passed away as a result of the heart attack she suffered last week. It made me feel really sad. That character was such a powerful and positive influence in me that to know I will never see her in a Star Wars movie again is painful to accept.

Carrie was also an advocate for mental health, as she often shared her problems openly and discussed them frequently. She was having a profound affect on me even after portraying Leia. I also struggle with depression, and somehow it is comforting to know that even a star who played one of my favourite female characters suffered from it as well.

My deepest condolences go out to her family, friends, and especially the Star Wars cast and crew who had the privilege of working alongside her. I just needed to put words down to describe how it has affected me.

May the Force be with you, Carrie Fisher, always.