Carrie Fisher & Debbie Reynolds - Feeling For Billie Lourd

2016 has been interesting, to be sure. We have lost several significant figures, like John Glenn, David Bowie, Prince and Holocaust writer Elie Wiesel. The two most recent losses - those of Star Wars icon Carrie Fisher and 1950s superstar Debbie Reynolds - seem to have left many particularly bereft, myself included. I've written a couple of pieces about both Fisher and Reynolds - and I thought the world of both ladies, particularly when I started to read some of Fisher's writing (like the incredible Postcards From The Edge) and rewatched Singin' In The Rain.

My thoughts over the last couple of days keep drifting back to Scream Queens star Billie Lourd, Fisher's daughter and Reynolds' granddaughter. Just 24, it's unlikely that Lourd has gone through losses quite as personal as these, and it would seem that she and her mother were quite close, as she seemed with her grandmother.

Yes, it's easy for us in the "civilian" world to mourn the losses of two individuals who came to mean so much through the roles they played in front of the camera, but for Miss Lourd, this was Mom and Grandma.

I'm certain she's strong - she comes from a distinguished line of strong women - but good grief, this is too incredible for one young woman to bear.

Billie Lourd was Carrie Fisher's only child and, like her mother, went into the acting business. It wasn't a secret that Lourd got a role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and much has been made of the fact that Lourd's role is apparently expanded somewhat for Star Wars: Episode VIII. It was clear from the joking banter during one interview promoting Star Wars: The Force Awakens that Lourd admired her mom greatly.

“We’re watching each other. And we’re still being mother-daughter, even though it’s like, actress-actress,” she said of performing with her mom on set.

“She’s awesome,” Lourd continued about working with Fisher in Episode VIII. “And it was even better in this one. She’s great and she looks great. She’s killing it.”

Now, though, there aren't any real "moments" to share with her mom or grandma. Yes, if you believe that the departed are always with us, then theoretically, those moments are indeed shared, but it's not the same as being able to pick up the phone or turn to her if she's standing beside you and smile and see the pride in her face.

Lourd is single, though she's rumored to be dating Taylor Lautner, but the simple fact is she can't look forward to her mom or grandma being in attendance at any wedding service she might have, nor can she look to sharing news of any pregnancy with her mother or grandmother.

Those two situations alone can make a heart break, and it's certain that Lourd is already rocked in the aftermath of this week. When special events come up, as close as she might be to her father and stepfather, it's not the same as having your mother around.

Lourd is hopefully embracing every ounce of support and strength being offered to her. I would imagine her aunts, Joely and Tricia Fisher, and her uncle Todd are sticking as close as they can with her, reminding her that they are stronger together as a family; her father, Bryan Lourd and stepfather Bruce Bozzi, in addition to any siblings they may have brought to the mix, are doubtless doing what they can to be there for her. It is my hope that Carrie Fisher's dog, Gary, is getting whatever extra snuggles he can from Billie, who has apparently brought Gary back to her house, as she herself also has a French bulldog named Tina, and the two dogs get along well. While no one really knows what a dog is going through, it's almost certain that Gary will need cuddles and comfort, as Miss Lourd will as well.

Miss Lourd's got a hard few months ahead, and no one, save for her own family members, who really gets how she feels as far as losing two family members. Her position, though, is certainly unique; to lose both your mom and your grandmother within a day of each other is terribly heartbreaking, and given the entire family seemed far closer than we hear about from Hollywood circles, stereotypically, there's got to be little doubt that Billie Lourd is just shattered, never mind all the tomorrows she knows her mom and grandma are going to miss.

Thinking of good memories throughout the next few months as she tries to come to terms with this unthinkable loss is going to be challenging, but may be ultimately worth it; there will be laughter mixed with the tears, but no doubt, Miss Lourd will find she may feel her mom and grandma with her in her heart.

Feeling that presence within of a loved one is hard to conceive when you're grieving hard, but that may be ultimately what Miss Lourd tries to reach out for. She'll eventually be able to go through Christmases without thinking of that one devastating Christmas where her axis shifted so dramatically. She'll be able to hang on to whatever thoughts or memories she wants or needs to get her through any given situation, and while the sting in the heart will be there, always, there will come a time where it won't be so tangible.

Hang on, Billie Lourd. Your fans, your mom's and grandma's fans, your friends, and most importantly, your family, got you.