For weeks, I couldn’t take my eyes off the enormous branch hanging over my roof. It was thick, heavy, and looked like a tree was clawing at my house from above. Every storm made it sway, every gust of wind made me think, “Yeah, it’ll hold. It’s strong. It’s been here forever and has withstood stronger winds.”

One rainy evening, I was sitting at home watching TV when I heard a dull crunch. I ran outside and saw: the branch had finally let go of the tree and penetrated my house. The shingles were shattered, the gutters were bent, and the roof had just lost a boxing match. Torrential rain poured down into its terrifying hole. The neighbors gathered, shaking their heads. One said, “The tree decided you needed a skylight.” Another added, “Free home repairs!” I wasn’t laughing.

The repair bill was a painful reminder that trimming or removing dangerous branches early is much cheaper than fixing a roof later. The branch may have won the battle, but I learned my lesson: don’t wait for gravity to do its job. There’s no going back. Now the whole neighborhood knows: if a branch seems heavy, cracked, or dangerous, remove it before it takes over your home.