Historic Dogwood Tree, Huntsville Botanical Garden, Hunstville, AL 2009 (Photo courtesy Michael Hartley) I fell in love with the dogwood flower around the time I turned sixteen. I was in Opp, Alabama, visiting my grandmother; my family and I were just finishing up our traditional walk down the dirt road that runs parallel to her house. The spring air, sopping in the sweet scents of wild honeysuckle and wisteria, consumed us. This is home, I remember thinking to myself. We are home. My father and I walked hand-in-hand. He peeled himself away for a moment and slowly walked toward a tree near my grandmother’s property. While admirably examining the tree, he motioned for my family and me to come closer. We did. Frustrated, as my hand felt shockingly vacant from my father’s release, I remember thinking: It just looks like a crooked old tree with some boring old blooms. The closer we got, however, the more those same blooms came to life.
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