Awakening Tree

While walking in Golden Gate Park, I came across this arboreal wonder. Grand and gracious, I imagined I was looking up at a willowy angel reaching for a cloud in the sky. She smelled minty with a bit of honey.

This Australian blue gum eucalyptus produces white flowers that look like sea anemones. Fondly described as a “skyscraper eucalyptus,” they often rise over one hundred and fifty feet. The bark is forever peeling from their shaggy trunks, revealing colorful striated patterns underneath.

I call her my awakening tree. She reminds me to be present and to live in wonder, amazed by the world around me.