The most useful form of patience is persistence. Patience implies waiting for things to improve on their own. Persistence implies keeping your head down and continuing to work when things take longer than you expect. – James Clear
Decided to die
just
like my dad did.
He was more than old enough. He was more than happy enough.
Still had a good appetite. No problem there.
I have Dad's body, everything wrong with me is genetic. Can't be fixed.
Imagine I'll be just as surprised as Dad was when he woke up dead and still hadn't won the lottery.
Some differences.
I don't have the same fondness for repeat showings of Murder She Wrote.
You could see him struggle the first half hour trying to solve the murder.
Mom would just roll her eyes and whisper, no need really, he can't hear so good.
Probably doesn't know we're in the room he's busy solving crime.
Mom sotto voce, It's a rerun." Pause to snicker, lady-like. Pretty sure it's a rerun of a rerun.
Feel a smile cross my face. and I say, "The killer is always the guest star."
Mom goes back to her crossword puzzle, ink pen in hand.
"Shhh, you don't want to ruin the surprise ending."
Turns out we - Dad and me - had the winning ticket all along.
Just didn't always feel like that. Not by any stretch.