Following the sad passing of Carrie Fisher on Tuesday, many heartwarming and enlightening stories about the actress have emerged from all corners of Hollywood -- most notably from her "space-twin" Mark Hamill.
Now, one of Carrie's closest allies in recent years -- her former assistant Byron Lane, has taken to social media to talk about his "extraordinary" and "hilarious" former boss.
"Most of my time with her involved me staring at her, wide-eyed and in blissful shock that one person could live a life so fully," he wrote on Facebook after the news broke.
Lane, who Carrie called "Byronius," began his touching tribute by detailing some of the amazing adventures he and the star went on during their three years together, including an impromptu trip to see the aurora borealis.
"She once got a text alert from weather.com saying the northern lights were gonna be big... so that night I had to book flights and the next day we were there," he recalled. "When [her dog] Gary had to pee on a plane she took him and a wee-wee pad into the lavatory and how they worked it out is one of life's great mysteries."
He continued, "We rode dog sleds in Canada, swam hot springs in Japan, pet koalas in Australia. That's how she lived. Extraordinary. Brilliant. Hilarious. And generous! Not every assistant job is like that. I was with her for nearly 3 years. Every moment is a treasure, inspiration.
"I love this woman and will forever. She has been a force in my life from the moment I met her. To this day I think of her constantly. Every memory with her is bursting with color. I feel so lucky, you guys! So! Lucky!"
The actor-director concluded the moving letter by explaining who the Star Wars veteran was behind the cameras, and everything she championed for.
"But, you know her, too. Because she was exactly the same in private as in public," Lane wrote. "Authentic. Honest. Real. A champion for mental health, veterans, feminism. She did anything for her family, loved her friends, embodied aliveness. I'll miss her so, so much."
Carrie, 60, passed away on Tuesday (Dec. 27) after suffering a major heart attack aboard a plane from London to Los Angeles.
Just a day later, her mother, legendary actress Debbie Reynolds, suffered a stroke and passed away. She was 84 years old. Click here to read some heartfelt tributes to Debbie.
She sounds crazy, but awesome. I miss her and I didn't even know her.
She definitely sounds like the kind of lady I would've liked to hang out with
i grew up watching the old movies and loved Debbie Reynolds ,she was so full of life and spunk , i hope her and Carrie are together peacefully
Its not how or when we die, it's how we lived that will be remembered, Carrie you LIVED
@ Dave, well said. Your comment is well thought out, and one that actually stands out in both a smart and coherent way, unlike the very first comment that I've read here. @ Melissa, how could you possibly miss someone you didn't even know, unless you were trying to say that you missed her as both an actress and as an outstanding person throughout the course of her life before she passed away. However, your entire comment does not convey that, and what do you mean that Carrie Fisher sounds crazy, but awesome. Were you trying to express the fact that the actress was a spontaneous person and liked to live life to the fullest by doing things on short notice? Is that what you were trying to say?