A Branch, Kindness, and a Reminder

Yesterday, a massive branch fell on our lawn. It could’ve been so much worse—our car was parked nearby and was somehow spared, and a construction crew who had been working on upgrading our siding and painting the house just hours before the evening wind took down the branch could have been hit. So very thankful that the damage was minimal, perhaps an old lamp got hurt. That is all. And neighbors who normally enjoy sidewalk access had to go around this enormous branch.

But no one was hurt. Not one soul.

What happened next reminded me why community and neighborhood care still matters and makes a difference.

A great neighbor—new to the HOA board—rang our doorbell. Not with complaints or red tape. Just kindness.

“Are you okay?”

“Can I help report this so it’s taken care of Monday?”

In a world full of noise and division, it’s these small gestures that mean everything.

A knock on the door. A shared concern. A bit of human infrastructure holding things together. Especially after a morning feeling a tad overwhelmed and not sure how to proceed.

This wasn’t a headline moment.

But it was a heart-line one.

We’re grateful—deeply—for the near miss. And for the gentle reminder that community doesn’t always look like meetings or events. Sometimes it’s just one neighbor checking on another. And the care makes all the difference.