Kelly Rizzo. John Salangsang/Shutterstock
Looking toward the future. Kelly Rizzo opened up about her first Christmas following husband Bob Saget‘s death.
“Cherish every single moment. I certainly didn’t think that our first Christmas together (in the same city) last year would be our last,” Rizzo, 43, captioned an Instagram post on Saturday, December 24, which included photos of her and Saget. “(It was the first year he came to Chicago to spend Christmas with my family along with my wonderful step-daughter, Lara). I’m so glad we had that special time together.”
Courtesy of Kelly Rizzo/Instagram
The Illinois native, who exchanged vows with her late husband in 2018, reflected on their last holiday together.
“He got to spend time with my niece Alex, who was only 2, and got to meet my niece Brooklyn who was only 2 weeks old. Alex still remembers ‘Uncle Bob’ and talks about him every single day. He certainly left a lasting impression that I’m so grateful for,” she continued. “But Bob did that with everyone he met. The holidays are a time for hope, love, and togetherness. I pray that if you’re missing a loved one this holiday season, that you’re blessed with many deep and loving memories and gratitude that will help carry you through.”
In the lengthy social media post, Rizzo addressed the support she received following Saget’s January death, adding, “As I’ve said before, I’m just so grateful that I got to have that incredible man in my life and that I got to be in his for 6 years. There’s no greater Christmas present than that. Sending love and prayers and wishes to you all. And I cannot thank you all enough for almost a full year of all the love and support and kindness from everyone. It means more than you know. I can only hope to show you how thankful I am and give it back a bit over time.”
The Full House alum’s former costar Candace Cameron Bure replied, “Love you . I miss him.”
Amanda Kloots, whose husband Nick Cordero passed away in 2020, also responded in the comments section. “Love to you Kelly! ,” the dancer wrote.
Rizzo’s emotional post comes almost one year after the actor died on January 9 in his Orlando, Florida, hotel room at age 65. Us Weekly confirmed that authorities declared that there were no signs of foul play when they arrived at the hotel. One month later, the Orange County, Florida, Medical Examiner revealed that Saget’s passing was the result of “blunt head trauma” from an “accidental” fall.
At the time, the former America’s Funniest Home Videos host’s loved ones addressed the news in a statement to Us. (Saget shared daughters Aubrey, 35, Lara, 33, and Jennifer, 30, with ex-wife Sherri Kramer.)
“As we continue to mourn together, we ask everyone to remember the love and laughter that Bob brought to this world, and the lessons he taught us all: to be kind to everyone, to let the people you love know you love them, and to face difficult times with hugs and laughter,” his family stated.
Rizzo later candidly discussed her experience of grieving in the public eye. “I just wanted to take a second to say to everybody that it has not gone unnoticed. I have been incredibly grateful and appreciative of all of you for the love and support,” she noted in a series of videos shared via her Instagram Story in March. “I have had people who were strangers that now have become friends on Instagram. So many people have shared their stories with me of the loss that you’ve been through, and you’ve poured out your heart, and it’s just really kind that you’ve tried to help me by sharing your stories.”
The Eat Travel Rock blogger explained that she was doing her “best” amid dealing with the loss.
“This whole grief thing is something that I’ve learned recently. A lot of people don’t really understand, don’t really like to talk about it. It’s not a very fun topic, but it’s something that at one point or another, we all go through,” she shared. “And even though I’m still very new to this world, I feel I’ve kinda had a crash course in it. Especially doing it very publicly, it adds a whole other level. It takes it to this different place that you understand things in a certain way.”