Planting and patience, an oxymoron to me

When I was a child, everyone said that my father and I were like “two peas in a pod.”

Physically we had a strong family resemblance, similar mannerisms and a strong stubborn streak. Politely, we listened intently to people’s advice, then usually did what we had initially planned. Thankfully, the one thing I didn’t inherit from him was his horrific sense of direction, he could get lost going around the block, and did once when picking me up from school.

He hated gardening, he didn’t want to “man the grill,” he hated doing home repairs, and for sure, he was not a patient man. I remember a rare f...