Warriors fans were purchasing pitchers, snagging chairs from tables, and hunting for the best spot to watch game six of the 2016 NBA finals. I found my home sitting on a cheap white chair against the wall and stared intently at the TV, heart racing, longing for the game to start. It was six o’clock, tip off was soon, but first, the national anthem was sung, and chills ran through my spine leaving tears on my proud cheeks.

Jessica Ruiz brought the microphone to her mouth and began our beautiful anthem. She slowly abandoned the microphone, dropping it to her side, enticing all of the fans to sing, to sing the song of our country. Thousands of miles away, in a Bay Area bar, patriotism was coursing through my bones. The sheer power of thousands of people singing one song, one song that unites us all in this country despite the recent tragedies and controversial fiascos, brought tears to my eyes.

I’ve always had a soft spot for the national anthem. In high school, before each basketball game we all lined up and placed our right hand over our heart and our left hand on the person in front us. Throughout the years, many of my teammates did not share the same respect I had for the national anthem; whispering in the ear of the person in front of them, they pinched their pressure points hoping for a foolish reaction. This is not how you respect your country, the troops that died, the troops that lived, the place that we call home, the place that we love.

Our amazing country has experienced some devastating tragedies recently: the shooting in Orlando, police abusing their power and brutally attacking the innocent, an economy that seems to be experiencing exponential growth toward debt. Despite these tragedies, these hardships, these adversities, despite constant disputes between our fellow brothers and sisters, I believe everyone is proud to call themselves an American. And maybe, that’s why we are willing to set aside our differences, for just a minute, just long enough to express the love we share for our beautiful country.

That is what I felt sitting in a bay area bar on Thursday night: pride, admiration, love, respect. Thank you, Cleveland -- thank you for showing me that our country is not weak because of these misfortunes and wrong turns we have taken. We may fight with our fellow brothers, we may disagree, and an outsider may bully us, but in the face of adversity, Americans ban together. We live in this melting pop of different opinions, races, religions, political views, morals, and personalities but, there is one thing we all share: We are proud to live in America, land of the free and home of the brave.