It’s been five years since the death of Carrie Fisher, the esteemed actress and writer forever immortalized as Princess Leia in the Star Warssaga.
Fisher’s daughter, actress Billie Lourd, commemorated the fifth anniversary of her death with a touching, nostalgic Instagram post.
Lourd chose a photo of her infant self and her mother alongside an adorable Koala bear because she is currently in Australia filming Ticket To Paradise alongside George Clooney and Julia Roberts.
Lourd noted in the post those who saw it in America would see it on December 26, one day prior to the anniversary of her mother's passing, but it was already December 27 "down unda"—touchingly finding humor in her grief.
Lourd wrote:
"For anyone wondering why I’m posting this on the 26th it’s the 27th here down unda (aka Tomorrowland) so what better thing to post for my Momby’s Australian death anniversary (4 words I never thought I’d be putting next to each other?!?) than this picture of her and I with a koala!?"
The following Day, Lourd posted yet another tribute to her mother on Instagram.
This time, it was a musical tribute.
Accompanied by sisters Mady Dever and Kaitlyn Dever, Lourd's co-star in Booksmart, Lourd delivered a plaintive and heartfelt cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide".
But the video wasn't all mournful, as Lourd and the Dever sisters broke into cheerful giggles upon completing the song.
Beginning the video's caption with one of Fisher's most iconic quotes—"Take your broken heart and make it into art"—Lourd first made a joke surrounding her decision to never refer to her mother’s death as a “loss.”
"It has been 5 years since my Momby died."
"I don’t like to say lost—it makes it sound like I could find her like I find my car in a parking lot when I don’t remember where I parked it .
"I always find my car—I can’t find my Mom."
Lourd then revealed how she likes to remember her late mother on and around the anniversary of her death by doing something they loved sharing together.
And in this case, it was singing.
Lourd and Fisher both shared a special connection to the Fleetwood Mac hit.
"On days like this I like to be with people I love (big shout out to these literal and vocal angels @kaitlyndever and @madydever, I love you both more than any Instagram words could ever express) and to do something we loved to do together. "
"We loved to sing. We loved Fleetwood Mac. We loved this song."
"It echoed in our living room throughout my childhood, playing slightly too loudly as she scribbled her marvelous manic musings on yellow legal pads (Google them if you don’t know them—they’re the iPads of the past and are still pretty damn hip if you ask me).
It was upon hearing "Landslide" again in Australia when one particular lyric stuck out to her more than it ever had before.
“Well I’ve been afraid of changing cause I built my life around you. But time makes you bolder.”
Lourd confessed she felt quite lost after her mother's death, but though she still misses her mother every day, she has indeed gotten "bolder" with each passing year.
"I didn’t know who to be or what to do after my mom died."
"I was afraid of changing because I had built my life around her."
"Then she was gone. And I had to rebuild my life without her."
"And it wasn’t (and still isn’t) easy. But time has made me bolder. I never stop missing her but I have gotten stronger with each passing year."
Lourd ended the caption with a touching shout out to others who might still be suffering from grief.
"And if you’re going through something similar time will make you bolder too. Sorry for this cheesy lyric analysis. But it’s true!!! Sending all my strength to anyone in the #griefgang who needs it."
Many stars of film and TV sent their love to Lourd in the video's comments section, including a number of Lourd's former co-stars from American Horror Story, Booksmartand Scream Queens.
@praisethelourd/Instagram
@praisethelourd/Instagram
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@praisethelourd/Instagram
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@praisethelourd/Instagram
But it wasn't just celebrities who were touched by Lourd's song.
Several of her fans came out to express their gratitude to Lourd for being so open with her grief, and how messages like this have helped them cope with their own pain and suffering.
@praisethelourd/Instagram
@praisethelourd/Instagram
@praisethelourd/Instagram
@praisethelourd/Instagram
@praisethelourd/Instagram
December of 2016 was, indeed, an unimaginably hard time for Lourd.
The day after her mother's death, Lourd's grandmother Hollywood legend Debbie Reynolds also passed away.
Lourd commemorated the anniversary of her grandmother's death with a picture of the three generations of actors sharing a loving moment.
Grief is never easy, but one can only imagine the memories of the joyous times with her iconic mother and grandmother are what help her grow "bolder" each day.
Jane Rosenberg
Jane Rosenberg
@arianagrande/Instagram
@arianagrande/Instagram