Gabby Petito’s Family’s Poignant Messages Of Hope On Christmas

BLUE POINT, NY — The family of Gabby Petito shared touching messages to her on social media on their first Christmas without her and continued their mission of hope — working to inspire others facing a difficult holiday season.

On Sunday, her mother, Nichole Schmidt, acknowledged the first Christmas was difficult to get through in a post to Twitter.

"We made it through Christmas," Schmidt wrote. "It was hard, sad, and filled with tears. But I know you are with us always. I feel you. I dream of you. I see the signs daily."

"Love you Gabby," she wrote, adding, "always in my heart."

She ended her message with a heart, angel, and Christmas tree emoji, as well as the hashtags "missingyou", "angel," "justiceforgabby," "brokenheart," "KeepGoing," and "BeKind."

In a followup message, she sent her "love and prayers to all who are going through a hard situation."

"May you find peace, joy, and feel the love that surrounds you. Blessings to all!," she wrote.

The 23-year-old Long Islander disappeared on a cross-country trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, who returned to his parents’ home in Florida in her van, but without her. The disappearance prompted a massive, and frantic, search across several states, involving multiple law enforcement agencies. She was found strangled to death near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on Sept. 19 eight days after she was reported missing by her mother.

Laundrie refused to speak with police after Petito was reported missing and he went into a Florida preserve where he is believed to have shot himself in the head. His remains were found about one month later.

Just two days before, Petito's father, Joseph Petito, urged followers to take care of each other.

He wrote: "Christmas is just about here. Be thankful, thoughtful, and loving to all and for all. Celebrate the lives of the ones who can not be here. They would want to see you smile. Merry Christmas.

He ended the message with the together we can and Merry Christmas hashtags.

His messages to her continued on Christmas.

"Merry Christmas to my baby girl in heaven," he wrote. "I can’t call you. I can’t hear your voice, and I can’t hug you. What I can do is say, 'We love and miss you.'"

"Damn, today is a hard day, but we will get through this together," he added, using the hashtags "neverthesame," "MerryChristmas," and "GABBYPETITO."