Contest Entry #6

- From Denise -

I love my dad and have been blessed in life to be his baby daughter of four. Family has been the most important thing in his life and it was family that we all turned to in the days following September 11th, 2001.

UCLA played Ohio State at the Rose Bowl in their first game after that solemn time and I asked my dad to accompany me. I was a bit scared to go anywhere that might be a target and a place like the Rose Bowl is just such a place as one of America's shining "grand daddy of them all" fields. Sports and a lot of things weren't being played and to be there with everyone else was special.

I still have the poster with the American Flag "United We Stand" that we held up during the National Anthem and all throughout the game when our Bruins took the field and won the game against the mighty Buckeyes. But it did feel like we were all one that day as it was so good to see things getting back to normal, college football on a Saturday.

My dad is the hardest worker ever and shared with me his love for all sports, teamwork, and to love one another. He's a truck driver during the week and a barber on the Saturdays, but on this Saturday he took the day off to be with me and watch a beautiful game with the people of Los Angeles who wanted to get out of their house and share shouting AMERICA and BRUIN chants all day long.

My dad doesn't like going to games because he's too busy and it's too expensive. He'd rather sit and watch on tv after work or on his day off after he goes to church on Sundays. But he was with me on this day to help support the Bruins, the school he sent three of his kids to who became an attorney, banker, and me, the teacher. UNITED WE STAND! Every time I look at that poster I have in my room I still get shivers and it juices me up with PRIDE! America, we love you.

I'd so love to get free tickets to the Arizona or OSU game because I love the Rose Bowl and my BRUINS! We're having a great, gut checking, melding as a family type year. BRUINS!