Just before sunrise on the Fourth of July, an old man and an army veteran walked into his front yard carrying a neatly folded American flag.

His granddaughter hurried beside him.

"Pop-Pop," she asked, "why do you always raise the flag before everyone else is awake?"

He smiled as he carefully attached it to the halyard.

"Because some things deserve our first thoughts, not our leftovers."

Together, they slowly raised the flag. As the first rays of sunlight touched the stars and stripes, it caught the morning breeze and began to wave.

This morning, I was searching frantically for my car keys.

• I checked the kitchen counter where I always leave my keys

• I checked my pockets

• I checked my backpack

• I even checked between the couch cushions in the living room.

“JoMaire (my wife), where are my keys?”

“Your keys are where you left them.” (said with a laugh)

I was sitting in my home office chair yesterday, trying to send a simple e-mail to a friend from my phone.

I hit "send."

I waited.

The little circle on the screen just kept spinning—round and round.

• no connection

• no service

• no "bars

I made a cup of coffee this morning.

• Not a fancy latte

• Just regular drip coffee

• With some cream

I set it on the counter.

I checked my e-mail.

I answered a text message.

Showered, shaved, and dressed for work.

Driving in my car to work, I remembered that cup of coffee that I left on the counter.

"Professor, I need to talk to you about my grade."

The young man stood at the edge of my desk, clutching his syllabus like a shield.

"Okay, have a seat," I replied. "What seems to be the concern?"

"I got an 85 on the final project. I need at least a 92 to keep my A."

I was sitting in my office very early in the morning.  I love the mornings! The office is quiet, and my computer and the smell of coffee are my sole companions. My phone was sitting on the table, face up.

Suddenly, a tiny red circle appeared in the corner of an app.

• The red dot was small

• The red dot was silent

• The red dot was persistent …