In 1983, my life changed forever.
I wasn’t in a galaxy far, far away — but I might as well have been. That was the year I saw my first “Star Wars” film: “Return of the Jedi.” It was my personal origin story. And like many girls growing up in the ‘80s, I didn’t just want to watch Princess Leia — I wanted to be her.
I dreamed of flying speeder bikes through the mossy forests of Endor, living among the cuddly-yet-fierce Ewoks, rescuing Han Solo from a block of carbonite, and learning to wield The Force like a true Jedi Knight. Leia wasn’t just royalty — she was resilience, intelligence, and quiet power, wrapped in cinnamon bun hair and white robes. She gave girls like me permission to imagine ourselves as heroes.
For most of my childhood, I lived in a “Star Wars” daydream. My next-door neighbor swore he was Luke Skywalker, and I was always Leia — of course. Every afternoon after school, we launched ourselves into cosmic adventures under the big oak tree in my grandmother’s backyard. We battled aliens (mostly imaginary, occasionally roly-polies), staged daring escapes from invisible prisons, and swung from tree limbs like we were jumping into hyperspace.
To us, that old swing set was a star cruiser. When we leapt from the monkey bars, we weren’t landing in grass — we were free-falling through wormholes, landing in new worlds that only we could see. I doubt my grandmother ever realized her backyard was actually a portal to the universe.
So, if you’re not a “Star Wars” fan and found yourself rolling your eyes at your social feed during the release of “The Force Awakens,” let me offer a little context: Many of us waited over 30 years for the real sequel to the original trilogy. For decades, we’ve carried those memories with us.
Let’s be honest: some of us are still trying to forget those prequels and pretend they were just bad dreams that somehow made it to film.
So, when “The Force Awakens” was announced, I was cautiously optimistic but emotionally guarded. Would this new chapter preserve the magic — or trample over it with CGI and forced nostalgia? Would seeing Han, Leia, and Luke decades later feel comforting… or disappointing?
Spoiler alert: It felt like coming home.
If you haven’t seen the film yet and want to go in spoiler-free, this is your official warning. But if you have seen it — welcome to the Jedi Council. Let’s talk.
Rey: The Hero We Didn’t Know We Needed
The world has changed — and so has the galaxy. Women are leading companies, families, classrooms, and maybe even the country. So it felt right that Princess Leia was now General Leia Organa — older, wiser, battle-worn, and still commanding respect. Carrie Fisher’s return was everything I hoped it would be.
But the heart of the film? Rey.
Daisy Ridley’s Rey isn’t waiting for a man to save her — she’s far too busy saving herself. From the moment she tells Finn to stop grabbing her hand (yes!), it’s clear that this isn’t your traditional damsel story. Rey is a scavenger with grit, a pilot with skill, and a Jedi in the making. She doesn’t wear makeup, and that’s not a statement — it’s just reality. Her strength comes from within.
And speaking of marketing irony — remember the Star Wars-themed CoverGirl line? Hilarious, considering Rey’s signature look is essentially “I woke up like this… in a sandstorm… with a staff.”
Diversity in the Galaxy
Then there’s Finn, played by John Boyega. A former Stormtrooper turned rebel, he’s complex, courageous, and refreshingly human. Unlike Lando Calrissian, who was more of a side note in the original trilogy, Finn is front and center — and so is a hint of chemistry between him and Rey.
We also get to meet Maz Kanata, voiced by Lupita Nyong’o, and of course, hear that unmistakable voice of James Earl Jones — Mississippi’s own — as Darth Vader in flashbacks and legacy scenes. The galaxy, at last, looks more like the world we actually live in.
A Familiar Feeling, Refreshed
There were moments during “The Force Awakens” that gave me strong “Indiana Jones” vibes — and with Lawrence Kasdan (writer of “Empire” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark”) at the helm, it’s no wonder. The film had that same pulse: adventurous, fun, and emotionally grounded.
I saw it in 3D, and I swear the Millennium Falcon nearly flew right into my popcorn. The ships still looked like they were held together with duct tape and hope, but they flew with flair. One of Rey’s vehicles even resembled a USB stick married to a tractor — and somehow, I loved it.
And can we talk about accents? British aliens just sound more intelligent. It’s a universal law of sci-fi.
The Real Message of Star Wars
Beyond the epic space battles and memorable one-liners, “Star Wars” has always been about something bigger: the timeless struggle between light and dark, both in the universe and within ourselves.
It’s about believing in something greater — even when you feel powerless. It’s about discovering that The Force, that spark of strength and intuition, has been inside you all along. You just have to wake it up.
And that, I believe, is the quiet brilliance of “The Force Awakens.” It reminded us of who we were when we first fell in love with “Star Wars” — but more importantly, it reminded us of who we still have the potential to become.
We don’t have to be Jedi to be brave.
We can face down the darkness in our own lives — whether it’s fear, illness, injustice, self-doubt, or heartbreak. We can ask for that raise. We can leave the job or relationship that no longer serves us. We can protect those we love. We can create art, launch businesses, take risks, and rise again when we fall.
Because The Force is real. It lives in courage, kindness, resilience, and faith.
It lives in the backyard adventures of a little girl who once believed she was a space princess.
It lives in me. It lives in you.
Sometimes, it just needs to be awakened.
