A year ago today on July 3, 2020, Tom Riley — friend, father, husband, brother, son, cousin — was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. And on June 5, 2021, Tom Riley — guitarist, writer, poet, podcaster, cancer advocate, observer of humanity, orator, beloved — passed away. He was 54. 

In a time like this, words can feel thin, not enough somehow. So instead of a lot of words, this episode contains just a few in the way of a short poem.  

When we first started this podcast, Tom sent this message:

“My only goal is to share my story and perspective, and to capture other people’s stories in a way that could be helpful to others. That’s my motivation.

This is my third act. I want it to be meaningful. And I want it to be fun.”

It was Tom, it was. And it will be. Thank you. And remember, I love you.