A week ago we lost a princess. Unlike when Princess Diana passed away, I was fairly moved by the loss of Carrie Fisher, Princess Leia.
Princess Diana passed away in 1997. I actually remember that day clearly. I was at my friend Phil’s house watching Goodfellas. I didn’t experience much loss when Princess Diana died. I wasn’t even alive when she married Prince Charles and I didn’t care much about the Royal Family or its drama.
However, Carrie Fisher and her portrayal of Princess Leia were integral parts of my childhood. Princess Leia was an icon in my youth and an icon in my adult life. Before I even knew I liked girls, I knew I liked Princess Leia. She was pretty, strong and stood up for herself. Before I even looked at girls, I knew that I wanted to look for a girl like Princess Leia.
This tale of two princesses has really helped me process through how I’ve felt about the number of celebrity deaths last year.
When I was growing up, celebrity deaths like Princess Diana’s had little effect on me. I would see older people affected by their deaths and wonder what all the fuss was about. As a younger person though, those celebrities didn’t mean anything to me. They hadn’t been a part of youth and they didn’t make an impact on my life.
Now that I’m getting older, though, the celebrities of my childhood, the icons of my youth, are getting older as well. Now a lot of celebrities who have passed away aren’t just people I maybe knew, but people who I grew up with and who made an impact on my life.
David Bowie
Alan Rickman
Prince
Anton Yelchin
Gene Wilder
Sharon Jones
Florence Henderson
Ron Glass
Craig Sager
George Michael
Carrie Fisher
Like I said, Carrie Fisher was a part of my childhood. I saw Return of the Jedi when I was three years old. Other than my family, Leia, Luke Han and the rest have been a part of my life longer than anyone else. So when Carrie Fisher passed away last week I felt like I had lost someone I’d known for a very long time. Obviously I didn’t really know her, I really only knew her as Princess Leia and Liz Lemon’s heroine. However, the little I knew her was enough to make me saddened by her loss.
As followers of Jesus death should always remind us of the life we have in Christ. I can only hope that Carrie Fisher and every other person had/has that new life in Christ. Beyond that hope, though, we can also pray for God’s peace on the families of those who have lost loved ones, especially Carrie Fisher’s family who also lost her mother Debbie Reynolds the very next day.
A lot of people feel like 2016 was a terrible year. I don’t know if it was any better or worse than other years, but the New Year offers us new opportunities. We can live with the wit and grace of Carrie Fisher. We can live with the strength and resolve of Princess Leia. And we can live our lives for Jesus Christ who is and will continue to be our only hope.
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