Star Wars icon Carrie Fisher unexpectedly passed away on December 27, 2016, taking a major toll on millions of fans around the world. More significantly, the passing was a devastating loss for Fisher’s daughter Billie Lourd, with the actor taking to Instagram to share a tribute to her late mother. While this day could understandably bring with it tremendous grief, Lourd recalled how recent weeks have been exceptionally positive, as she welcomed her second child earlier this month, expressing that it’s possible to feel both grief and joy at the same time and vowing to share stories of Fisher with her children.
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“It has been 6 years since my Momby died (feels like 2 but also like 705 at the same time?),” Lourd captioned the post featuring a photo of herself as a child alongside her mother. “And unlike most other years since she’s died, this year, these past two weeks have been some of the most joyful of my life. Giving birth to my daughter and watching my son meet her have been two of the most magical moments I have ever experienced. But with the magic of life tends to come the reality of grief. My mom is not here to meet either of them and isn’t here to experience any of the magic. Sometimes the magical moments can also be the hardest. That’s the thing about grief.”ย
She continued, “I wish my Momby were here, but she isn’t. So all I can do is hold onto the magic harder, hug my kids a little tighter. Tell them a story about her. Share her favorite things with them. Tell them how much she would have loved them. For anyone out there experiencing the reality of grief alongside the magic of life, I see you. You are not alone. Don’t ignore either. Life can be magical and griefy at the same time.”
While Lourd had already earned herself acting opportunities as a young performer, she eventually went on to join the galaxy far, far away alongside her mother with Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Given Fisher’s passing before filming took place on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, that project relied on unseen archival footage of the actor, though the film also presented the unique opportunity for Lourd to truly follow in her mother’s footsteps by serving as the body double for a flashback of Leia, allowing Lourd to offer yet another tribute to her mother.
