Notre Dame and you!

[Rudy89]

Ok fun thread time. I thought it would cool since we are in a bye week to share stories we have about the university that brings us here and ways it has made for some fun memories or stories. They may not necessarily have to be related to a particular game or season but I just want to share a few of my own and would love to hear some of yours.

First story was from when I was in high school. It started when I was a junior so this was 2005. At my school I was the biggest Irish fan there. That season our basketball team started running a play or offense or whatever the term is since Im not a huge fan of basketball called "irish" because the ND basketball team ran it. One of my good friends was a star on the team and had everyone unofficially call it "Eli" (my real name) because he said when he heard Notre Dame he thought of me. Eventually that became the official name of what they ran and we ended up getting 3rd in state that year. Anyone else have any cool stories about how Notre Dame has had an impact on your life or how people see you.

 

[blueNDgold44]

This year my grandfather's team was remembered at the OU game for being the team that broke OU's record winning streak. We went up the Friday before the game and went to the luncheon and my grandfather was interviewed by Jack Nolan and we got to eat lunch with Jack Nolan, John Heisler, and one of the priests who was in the locker room (cant remember his name). Big Lou and Stockton also sat at our table for a little bit. Later that day my grandfather's team was remembered at the pep rally and he got to speak in front of everyone. That night we got to go in the monogram room in the stadium where I got to meet Jerome Bettis. One of my most memorable ND moments

 

[Rack Em]

I have been to at least 1 ND home game since 1996 (except for 2007...the year they sent me a rejection letter). Lots of great experiences on that campus but I'll share the most powerful.

When I was a sophomore in high school my grandfather was diagnosed with a detached retina. It was so severe that his physician recommended surgery but only to "delay the inevitable" of getting a glass eye.

Two week later, my parents and I traveled to South Bend on Thanksgiving weekend with my aunt, uncle, and my 4 cousins. That Saturday evening we went to the Grotto; I had an agenda and I was bound and determined to bend God's ear about my grandfather. As snow fell lightly around me, I begged and pleaded with God to restore his eyesight. Just one miracle. Just one small favor.

Candles were lit. Prayers were said.

My grandfather had the surgery to "delay the inevitable". And a few weeks after the surgery my dad, my uncle, and my grandfather all met with the surgeon. She walked into the room, looked at the three of them and said "I don't know how to tell you all this, but the retina is reattaching." My dad asked "So the surgery went better than you expected?" She turned to him and said, "No, there is nothing I did that caused his retina to reattach. It was something higher than me."

Chills guys. Just straight chills.

 

[Rudy89]

I have been to at least 1 ND home game since 1996 (except for 2007...the year they sent me a rejection letter). Lots of great experiences on that campus but I'll share the most powerful.

When I was a sophomore in high school my grandfather was diagnosed with a detached retina. It was so severe that his physician recommended surgery but only to "delay the inevitable" of getting a glass eye.

Two week later, my parents and I traveled to South Bend on Thanksgiving weekend with my aunt, uncle, and my 4 cousins. That Saturday evening we went to the Grotto; I had an agenda and I was bound and determined to bend God's ear about my grandfather. As snow fell lightly around me, I begged and pleaded with God to restore his eyesight. Just one miracle. Just one small favor.

Candles were lit. Prayers were said.

My grandfather had the surgery to "delay the inevitable". And a few weeks after the surgery my dad, my uncle, and my grandfather all met with the surgeon. She walked into the room, looked at the three of them and said "I don't know how to tell you all this, but the retina is reattaching." My dad asked "So the surgery went better than you expected?" She turned to him and said, "No, there is nothing I did that caused his retina to reattach. It was something higher than me."

Chills guys. Just straight chills.

Man that's amazing. I got chills reading that.

This one may sound corny but I think there may have been some Devine intervention last season. In late 2011 my mother had neck surgery and was fired from her job a day after her surgery. In January my fiancé was laid off leaving me the only one out of the 3 of us working. I was freaking out because at the time I had a meager fast food job and a smaller job delivering appliances at a local store which didn't give me a whole lot of extra work. I sometimes think the reason we went 12-0 last year was it was God giving me one thing to not be angry or stressed about. In December 2012 my mom went back to work in January my fiancé found a job and relieved me of some of my pressure and they only lost when I didn't have as much of a burden on my back. In April I got my new job as a correctional officer and while I can be very gloomy when we lose in general it doesn't ruin my week like it used to when lose because *knock on wood* everything is alright.

Last one was just from a few weeks ago. Navy was giving us a run for our money and I was doin my Rudy freak out as per usual. Navy was winning late in the fourth and I got a call that one of the upperclassmen who helped me in high school football that the chemo he went trhough hasn't been helping and his cancer had spread. It was just a draining day at work and while I try not to let it bother me anymore with everything that happened that day I didn't want to see us lose. After I the shock subsided my fiancé flipped through the channels and I saw us kneel the ball to kill the clock and I said after a bad day at work and after hearing what I heard for the first time ever I cried after a game I didn't play in. Sure in the grandscheme of things id give that win back if it would change some stuff but in that situation that was what I needed.

On a happier note my friends cancer may not have spread. He still has chemo to go through and it is still a long road to recovery but as of now it hasn't gotten any worse so you gotta appreciate small victories like that.