As 2016 was coming to a close and people were preparing for the New Year with new beginnings, tragedy struck the entertainment world once again. The talented, iconic Princess Leia passed away on December 27th. As if this wasn’t enough hardship for their family and the “Star Wars” family, her mother, the beloved Debbie Reynolds, known for her roles in “Singin’ in the Rain” and “Halloweentown”, passed away a day later. Both of their careers have left lasting impacts on the entertainment world as well as their fans.

Seeing as 2016 was a year of many celebrity deaths, such as Gene Wilder, David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Prince, and Muhammad Ali, many thought the year couldn’t experience any more loss, especially less than a week before its fruition. After learning of this heartbreaking news, Mark Hamill, also known as Luke Skywalker, eulogized Fisher, remembering how they had “been friends most of [their] adult lives [and how] she was [an] extremely smart [and] talented actress, writer and comedian.” Harrison Ford, also known as Han Solo, commented that “Carrie was one-of-a-kind … brilliant, original. Funny and emotionally fearless”. In addition to the loss of a friend, Billie Lourd experienced the loss of a mother and a grandmother. Most well-known for her role on “Scream Queens,” she remained strong throughout this hardship. To lose a mother is hard enough, but to lose two family members within a day’s time due to separate afflictions, is certainly rare. After remaining quiet on the subject for a few weeks, she posted a picture on Instagram with the caption “Receiving all of your prayers and kind words over the past week has given me strength during a time I thought strength could not exist. There are no words to express how much I will miss my Abadaba and my one and only Momby. Your love and support means the world to me,” as a tribute to her loved ones.

So much pain and loss was experienced during 2016 and even if we weren’t directly affected by loss, we must mourn those that have passed and keep them in our memory and our lives.