With just a few days left of 2016, I'm still reeling from the tragic death of one of the most badass women I've ever had the pleasure to see onscreen. The fact that fans made a star for Carrie Fisher on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is giving me the hope for humanity that I needed in order to carry on. And that isn't even the best part: officials are going to let the unofficial memorial stick around for a few days, so fans have somewhere to mourn the star. Because, apparently, this idea wasn't beautiful enough without officials making it an even bigger example of just how wonderful humanity can be.
After learning of Fisher's untimely death on Dec. 27 following a massive heart attack, a devoted group of fans put together a makeshift memorial for the 60-year-old actress on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Personally, I was surprised to learn that Fisher doesn't have a star there already. You'd think that being in multiple blockbusters with the word "star" right in the title would have blasted her to the front of the line, but sometimes these things slip through the cracks. We're only human. Sometimes, we mess up. It happens.
Anyway, at an otherwise blank star on Orange and Hollywood Boulevard, fans have written in removable letters, "Carrie Fisher — May The Force Be With You Always — Hope". They also left little trinkets as tribute to the late actress, like flowers, candles, a light saber, and a cinnamon bun, in honor of Princess Leia's hairstyle in the original Star Wars. It's perfect. But, like I said, that's not even the best part. Wonderful as it is, it's technically graffiti and could be removed at any time, but TMZ reports that a representative for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce says that the shrine will be left alone for the moment, to give fans a tangible location at which to mourn their idol. Ugh, I love.
It won't last forever, of course, and the process for a posthumous star has a five-year waiting period. But, in the meantime, this is one relatively small thing that warmed my heart on a day when I really needed it. Thank you for your empathy, Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Maybe the Force be with you.
