Saturday will mark Carrie Fisher's first birthday since her death—a bittersweet day for her family, including her daughter, Billie Lourd, and her brother, Todd Fisher.
E! News caught up with Todd who opened up about what the day will mean for both him and his niece. "You can be sure that Billie and I will have a moment in reflection on Carrie's day," he told us.
In fact, when he thinks back on his late sister and her birthdays in years past, he remembers how she touched so many people.
"I remember all the great things that she said and the example that she set for so many other women," Todd said. "I see people almost every day that come up to me and hug me and tell me what an amazing inspiration that she was, as a survivor and a woman who stood up for what she believes in. It's amazing how many people recognized her for that."
He continued, "Carrie was truly a great example in that category—is a great survivor, a great woman who stood up for what she believed in and spoke out clearly and so articulately like nobody I ever saw."
Todd noted that despite being "afflicted with mental illness," Carrie was "crystal clear in her articulations of how she felt and what so many of us were feeling. She was a great example in those areas."
He added, "Was her life perfect? No. But whose is? It's not about that, it's about the example, it's about helping other people and with that in mind I think she did amazing things and accomplished as much as anybody."
Those reasons also make mourning Carrie's death all the more difficult—not to mention, with the added loss of Debbie Reynolds.
"Certainly we are all still dealing with the difference of life here," Todd explained. "It's a substantial change in the planet when you remove Carrie and Debbie from it. It's a huge vacuum that nobody could ever fill so you move on and you try to live your life without that presence, which, we will because we are survivors—and we were trained by Debbie."
He continued, "Debbie was clearly the matriarch, clearly the person who orchestrated large family events and reeled everybody in for decades. She was the pied piper that we all followed and she could get Carrie and myself to come from four corners of the earth, if necessary, to participate in an event. And she did!"
As for Billie, Todd said time will continue to help her move forward in a positive direction.
"I think [Billie is] doing very well," he explained. "She is dealing with it remarkably. I think she'll make a great role model in her time as well, having grown up around two amazing women. I think she is going to reflect that in her future."