Dogwoods, and Why I LOVE them!

I love it when the dogwoods bloom. I love dogwoods for a couple of reasons: one, because many happy hours were spent underneath our dogwood in our front yard as I was growing up. I played there, did homework there, even fell asleep there on a couple of occasions. The second is because of the legend of the dogwood, which was told to me by a friend when I was in second grade. Here is the legend:
"At the time of Crucifixion the dogwood had been the size of the oak and other forest trees. So firm and strong was the tree that it was chosen as the timber for the cross. To be used thus for such a cruel purpose greatly distressed the tree, and Jesus nailed upon it, sensed this.
In His gentle pity for all sorrow and suffering Jesus said to the tree:
" Because of your regret and pity for My suffering, never again shall the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used as a cross. Henceforth it shall be slender and bent and twisted and its blossoms shall be in the form of a cross--two long and two short petals. And in the center of the outer edge of each petal there will be nail prints, brown with rust and stained with red, and in the center of the flower will be a crown of thorns, and all who see it will remember." "
As a result of my love for dogwoods, the arch that we were married under was decorated with fake dogwood blossoms. Those same blossoms now decorate my dining room chandelier and have decorated our dining room chandeliers in every house we've owned (and maybe the one we rented, but I can't remember that.) I always stop and remember His love each spring when the real dogwoods bloom, and I am captivated by just how gorgeous they are to me. Have a blessed spring day, everybody! :o)