The Secret Under the Tree

Today I was walking by Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago, and they were taking down the Christmas tree. I found that pretty interesting, as I was able to see how it was constructed. Basically, it was made like a tiered wedding cake, with large pine trees attached at the outside on every layer.

As I watched the crew work, I realized that hanging free from the first layer, cleverly hidden under the tree, was a large American flag, flying free in the wind. Closer inspection made it clear that was the case. I found that curious. Apparently it had been under the tree ever since it had been set up. I thought about that a while, and decided that is it possible that we might just view our flag as a symbol of luck? With nothing much on my mind, I started thinking about all those little things in our life that feature the American flag: a roll of stamps, a container of apple juice in my refrigerator, a key chain from a friend born abroad who features it on a give-away from her business, a couple of lapel pins in my dresser drawer, a refrigerator magnet . . .

What's your list?