As a kid, I would fast forward the Yoda scenes in “The Empire Strikes Back” (my personal everlasting favorite) on my VCR to get to the Han and Leia scenes. My closet-romantic self at 9 years old wanted the handsome man and the illustrious career, after all. Looking back, I missed out on the beautifully discombobulated wisdom from Master Yoda. It wasn’t until my 20s that I began to fully appreciate the knowledge bestowed by our favorite little green friend. To celebrate the international holiday that is May the Fourth, here are 10 life lessons I learned from Yoda.

The Little Leia: An Ode to Carrie Fisher

Thank you, Carrie, for being the universe's favorite princess, a role that you had a love/hate relationship with -- although it was mostly love. Thank you for your acting and writing talents, for your wit, charm, and resilience. Thank you for shining such a luminous light on the subject of mental illness and substance abuse and for fighting the stigmas that shape who we are, even when we don’t want them to do so. Thank you, Carrie, for showing little girls like me how to be just like you.