After a loved one dies, his or her birthday often becomes a day for sharing memories and mourning. On October 21, on what would have been the late Carrie Fisher's 61st birthday, daughter Billie Lourd took to Instagram to honor Fisher — not just as a talented actress and writer, but as a mom.
Lourd's post features a collage of scattered photographs, including a sweet snapshot of Fisher and a young Lourd posing in matching nightgowns. It's a humanizing portrait of a mother and daughter — a contrast to the larger-than-life Fisher many knew from her role as Princess Leia in "Star Wars."
Lourd further paid tribute to her mother by posting a photo of a new space tattoo near her ankle, similar to one that Fisher had on her own ankle. (Scroll through the post below for a comparison.)
The "American Horror Story" actress has used Instagram a number of times this year, including on Mother's Day and "Star Wars" Day, to share fond memories of her time with her mother.
Last month, Lourd told Ellen DeGeneres that the passing of mother Fisher and grandmother Debbie Reynolds — who died on consecutive days last December — was “completely surreal.”
“It’s so hard to talk about,” Lourd, 25, told DeGeneres. “I don’t know, if I say that I’m doing good, I’m too happy. And if I say that I’m not doing good, then I’m a mess. So it’s really hard to know what to say about it because it is just so surreal and impossible to deal with."
We can't imagine what Lourd has been through this year — but we're grateful to her for opening up and sharing her memories of her beloved mother.