American Icons: Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds

They say a Mother's love knows no bounds...that is certainly so in the case of 2016's latest celebrities to leave us: Carrie Fisher and her mother, Debbie Reynolds who died a day later, stating "I want to be with Carrie".

Both hugely and diversely talented Hollywood icons, they showed the world their inner strength by playing out their struggles and scandals on the world's largest stage - Life.

Crowned "America's Sweetheart", Debbie Reynolds played strong, vibrant powerful women on the silver screen for 7 decades while her daughter played one of the most iconic female characters the world of film has given us.

Accomplished singers, dancers, actors, writers; brilliant wit and intellect; great strength in spite of difficulties (the very definition of courage), they gave us stunning examples of strong women.

When Debbie Reynolds' best friend, Elizabeth Taylor, absconded with her husband, Eddie Fisher, this was played out openly for the entire world to see (think Pitt/Aniston/Jolie).  Crushed by betrayal and left alone with 2 babies, she had to push it aside and go on about her business, all while the two of them were worked side-by-side at MGM.  Eventually she and Taylor rekindled their friendship and genuine affection for one another, right up through Liz's death in 2011.

Fisher also dealt with her demons openly and courageously. A HuffPost article from last year lauded the actress for her public acknowledgment of these struggles such as where she proudly proclaimed, “I am mentally ill. I can say that. I am not ashamed of that. I survived that, I’m still surviving it, but bring it on.”  

Last year, Fisher reprised her role as Princess Leia, more than three decades after she appeared in “Return of the Jedi.”  Confronted with the cruel new world of the Internet and social media where people body-shamed Fisher for not looking the same as she did back in 1983 when Episode VI was released, she fought back with a strength that rivaled that of Princess Leia. She strived to be just the opposite of that negativity. Just last month, she told Rolling Stone that her rules of life were simple:

“Be kind. Don’t hurt other people. It’s all the sort of Christian ethics I thought was bullshit when I was a kid. No, it turns out it’s not bullshit. Tell the truth, be kind, all that corny stuff.”

Both on-screen and off, Fisher and Reynolds had beauty that went far beyond the superficial...they were both a force to be reckoned with and a beacon of strength for women everywhere. 

Words of an Icon:

“You have to keep practicing, if you're really going to be good. ~Debbie Reynolds

Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow.” ~ Carrie Fisher