My husband died serving our community; Thursday is a day to honor him, other police

This Thursday, Dec. 14, would have been Greg’s and my sixth wedding anniversary.

I remember our wedding day so clearly. It was beautiful: 70 and sunny in Savannah. I remember Greg holding back tears when we saw each other for the first time. I remember how, after we kissed, we noticed there were two women sitting on a park bench who had watched our whole ceremony. They hugged us afterward. I remember dancing with him to no music, my heart so full of joy.

I also remember how that day almost didn’t happen. The plan was that Greg would leave work early, but soon before he was supposed to leave, a call came in through dispatch. Someone needed help. He had to stay.

This story, while so special to me, is not ours alone. It is the story of so many police families. Celebrations and birthdays missed. Holidays rescheduled. Being a police family is a lifestyle, because being a police officer is more than a career. It is a calling. A calling to serve others.

Are there things that can improve when it comes to police relationships with the community? Absolutely, and through my work with Heroes in Blue to help police help people in need, I have seen first-hand how so many police are going beyond the call of duty to give back to our community. They do all of this while working hard to keep us safe. They do this while putting their lives in danger daily.

Dec. 14 is now Greg Alia Day. It is a chance for our community to show gratitude for the sacrifices police and their families make each day. Whether through participating in our Feed an Officer campaign (which rallies donations for lunches at participating restaurants to be delivered to police departments on Dec. 14) or just by taking a moment to say thank-you to a police officer, this is a chance to serve those who serve us.

This story was originally published December 9, 2017 at 8:25 AM with the headline "My husband died serving our community; Thursday is a day to honor him, other police."