Pint-Sized Powerhouse, Prolific Playwright and oh yeah, Princess Leia...

GRATEFUL GIRL'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
​I loved Carrie Fisher. I really did.

I was just a kid when I saw "Star Wars," not even 10 years old. And suddenly, there she was: Princess Leia.

All five feet, one inch of height and several dozen pounds of dark, balled up side-bun hair of her. Yep, there she stood, all-at-once a regal presence and sarcastic little dynamo; a leader AND a doer. A kick butt chick who not only led a massive revolution spanning planets but also managed to capture the attention of the two cutest boys in the galaxy.

Shoot, she wasn't even afraid Darth flipping Vader, yo.

Carrie Fisher; she had me at "Help me, Obi-wan Kenobi, you're my only hope." Yet, I loved her for reasons beyond being the coolest intergalactic princess in the history of motion pictures.

I admired her as a person: her courage, her spirit, her wit, her unapologetic imperfection, her humanness and her humanity. Plus, she was so stinking funny!

​The child of two mega-stars from Hollywood's golden age, Fisher was a gifted comedian (on stage as well as in film), a best-selling book author and movie producer who also found success on the small screen. I know she will forever be intertwined with her arguably most famous movie role of a gun-slinging royal who led a rebellion against tyranny and evil a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away -- but that's not her legacy. Not really.

She was a survivor whose bouts with alcohol, drugs, bipolar disorder and even her weight were all very public. Guess what? She not only owned it and used it as fodder for her cathartic works; she also beat her demons and became a respected, revered advocate for mental wellness. 

I believe her legacy will be as a wickedly funny, smart woman who loved her mother and daughter more than life; someone who had genuine empathy for her fellow man and helped erase the stigma once attached to mental illness. I feel history will remember her for all the smiles and joy she spread.

After all, what is a legacy, really, if not a reflection of how you left the other humans feeling by the way you treated them during your life? #thinkaboutit

And, I may never be a movie star or a millionaire or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company or a NY Times best selling author --- or hey, maybe that latter one could happen? Either way, that's not really the type of legacy that concerns me.

When people look back on the Grateful Girl someday (with any luck very far) down the road, I hope to be remembered for the way I loved my son, my husband, my family and my friends; the way I (hopefully!) treated everyone with kindness and respect ... and as the Chief Encouragement Officer to as many folks as I could reach.

Hugs...and may the force be with you... 


Ps 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40- R. (39a) The salvation of the just comes from the Lord. Trust in the LORD and do good, that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security. Take delight in the LORD, and he will grant you your heart's requests. The LORD watches over the lives of the wholehearted; their inheritance lasts forever. They are not put to shame in an evil time; in days of famine they have plenty. Turn from evil and do good, that you may abide forever; For the LORD loves what is right, and forsakes not his faithful ones. The salvation of the just is from the LORD; he is their refuge in time of distress. And the LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him. Alleluia Jn 16:13a, 14:26d - When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you to all truth and remind you of all I told you.  PHOTO COURTESY:
https://www.google.com/search?q=princess+leia&rlz=1C1GGRV_enUS751US751&tbm=isch&imgil=mx-W64999Kt3IM%253A%253BcN2A0dERlv-24M%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.pinterest.com%25252Fexplore%25252Fprincess-leia%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=mx-W64999Kt3IM%253A%252CcN2A0dERlv-24M%252C_&usg=__2MUiq3mTcZxf2QUi_inMjUd-6nI%3D&biw=1920&bih=1070&ved=0ahUKEwjWiZ7bkonVAhUD7D4KHfHcAasQyjcIiwE&ei=-epoWZapBoPY-wHxuYfYCg#imgrc=PwDdpt3vuUSHDM:

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