#NYPDFamily

My neighbor's Dad died yesterday. He was a nice old man that I didn't know well, but since he came to stay with them, he would always greet me out on my walks and stop to say Hello or smile.
As time passed, he would introduce himself to me or ask me who I was; even though I had seen him many times before. It broke my heart a little, and if he was with his daughter/my neighbor, we would simply exchange a look.
I had forgotten that he was once an NYPD Officer...until today. I found out about his death and I remembered and I thought it important to not only send a sympathy card but to thank his family for his service.
He was an old man; many years retired, but I still paused to think: how many lives did he save? How many people did he help? What precinct did he serve in, and how many stories would I never get a chance to hear?
Every once in a while, I feel a burst of love and support over the wire, and if I'm on Twitter, I will hashtag a tweet with #NYPDFamily. I'm not sure if I invented that #hashtag, or if I saw someone else use it, but it seems fitting to mention it today.
For tomorrow morning I will send a homemade bread and sincerest condolences across the street, to a small part of the Blue Family.
Thank you Sir...Rest in Peace.