Erika Kirk Says She’ll Save a Plate for Charlie Kirk on Thanksgiving

Erika Kirk (née Frantzve) paid tribute to her late husband, Charlie Kirk, on the first Thanksgiving after his death.

“Charlie and I always loved Thanksgiving because it drew us back to the simple, but holy practice of gratitude,” Erika, 37, wrote alongside a Thursday, November 27, Instagram video of herself walking through a room filled with boxes of letters and gifts for her family.

She continued, “And even now, well, especially now, in the depths of the ache, I’m reminded of that gratitude. God blessed me with being married to the love of my life, with our beautiful babies, with our family and friends, and with people from all over the world who have sent us letters, toys, artwork, and Bibles.”

Erika added that while “it’s easy to fixate on what’s been taken” from her, she can see that “what remains is sacred.”

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“I can’t express what the outpouring of love has meant to me and the babies,” Erika wrote, referring to her son and daughter with Charlie. “I’m reading every letter and card, opening every gift, and saving each one for them when they’re older. I’m thankful for a God who brings life out of ashes, who guards my heart, and who carries us as we do our best … today and every day.”

The businesswoman concluded, “We’ll save a plate for you babe. I love you, @charliekirk1776 happy Thanksgiving.”

The video was set to an audio clip from Erika’s recent appearance on “The Megyn Kelly Show,” where she revealed that she and her 3-year-old daughter often talk about Charlie being in “heaven.”

“I make it really exciting. Tell her, ‘Daddy had so much fun today.’ Everyone who has written letters and sent gifts to my children, thank you. I tell her, my son, he’s only a year and a half, but I tell both of them, ‘Daddy is telling all of his friends to send you gifts and letters, and Daddy is orchestrating from heaven to make sure that you always feel so loved,’” she said in the clip from the November 24 podcast episode.

Erika continued, “The other day she was like, ‘Tell me about Daddy’s day in heaven.’ So just, we talk about that at night. And then sometimes I’ll say, ‘Well, tell me what you think he did in heaven today.’ And we just, I just try to make it exciting because it is, heaven’s our home. And so I just want her to know that Daddy is having so much fun and building a place for her and our family in heaven.”

Charlie died at age 31 on September 10 after he was shot during a speaking engagement for his non-profit organization, Turning Point USA, at Utah Valley University.

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Erika broke her silence regarding her husband’s death two days later via a livestream on his X account.

“Charlie loved life. He loved his life, he loved America, he loved nature which always helped him closer to God,” she said at the time. “He loved the Chicago Cubs and my goodness did he love the Oregon Ducks.”

Erika continued, “Most of all Charlie loved his children and he loved me with all of his heart and I knew that everyday. He made sure I knew that everyday. Everyday he would ask me, ‘How can I serve you better? How can I be a better husband? How can I be a better father?’ … He was a such a good man. He still is such a good man. He was the perfect father. He was the perfect husband.”