Christopher Michael Riley

My dad, Christopher Michael Riley, was the most beautiful soul you’ll ever meet. Friends, family and acquaintances alike have all come out to tell us what a kind, loving, friendly and generous man he was. He had such a cheeky sense of humour, and his smile, with his sparkly blue eyes, would light up the whole room. He was the magic and inspiration in our lives. He’d often say to us that he didn’t feel like he was good enough as a dad, but we always told him how wrong he was. He was, and still is, our hero. He became the hero to four little girls, and now that we’re women, we’re strong, independent and brave because of him. The true magic that dad held was how deep he loved, and it’s been such a gift that he’s shared with us, and so many who met him. 

Here is a poem I wrote for him:

Dad, we weren’t ready for you to go. 

You were supposed to get better and heal. 

How can we live in a world without you?

We must be dreaming, because this can’t be real.

There are no words for the pain in our hearts. 

A piece of them went with you. 

We wish we could tell you again how much you meant to us. 

How can this situation be true?

You were the hero to four little girls. 

You inspired us and made us strong. 

We’re grown now, but you were still our world. 

That you’ve been taken just feels so wrong. 

We’ll never be the same without you. 

But you showed us what it means to be brave. 

We promise that we’ll continue to make you proud. 

The best parts of you we will save. 

Please don’t make us say goodbye?

That you’re gone we can’t believe. 

We will never stop loving you dad. 

We wish you didn’t have to leave.