For many fans, May the Fourth is the unofficial Star Wars day. Those with an appreciation for the Star Wars saga may greet one another by saying, “May the Fourth be with you.” The greeting sounds quite similar to one of the trilogy’s most well known lines, “May the force be with you.” Even those who aren’t the biggest fans of the saga are likely familiar with this infamous phrase. Actress Billie Lourd used the day as an opportunity to lovingly recall her late mother, Carrie Fisher, who famously played Princess Leia in the franchise, according to Fox News .
Lourd shared a photo with her 1.1 million Instagram followers of her and her mother making signs with their hands. Lourd appears somber while Fisher looks to be just barely containing a smile.
“May the 4th,” wrote Lourd using a long string of emojis. The post was liked over 200,000 times on Instagram.
Lourd, who is now 26-years-old, was Fisher’s only daughter. Fisher died suddenly in December of 2016 of cardiac arrest, shocking the family and fans she left behind. It was only a few days before Christmas and she had been flying from London to Los Angeles. When the plane landed, she was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment for a heart attack, according to People .
Unfortunately, it was too late and she died a few days later in the hospital. When she passed away she was just 60-years-old. Just one day after Fisher died, her mother, Debbie Reynolds, also passed away of a severe stroke at 84-years-old.
The time was absolutely devastating for Lourd, who unexpectedly lost her mother and grandmother in quick succession. While that point in her life was dark, the actress has found peace in remembering the talent and light her mother and grandmother brought to the world. This past December was the two year anniversary of Fisher’s death. In honor of the anniversary, Lourd posted a touching video to Instagram of herself singing while playing the piano.
“It has been two years since my Momby’s death and I still don’t know what the ‘right’ thing to do on a death anniversary is (I’m sure a lot of you feel the same way about your loved ones). So I decided to do something a little vulnerable for me, but something we both loved to do together – sing. This is the piano her father gave her and this was one of her favorite songs.”