Every now and then I try to bond with my very difficult father.

I shared a note yesterday telling him my next novel is almost ready to submit to my agent.

As per usual, he ignored the notice (he calls it "parental envy", which keeps him from celebrating any success on my side) & sent along his usual random death notice, which always serves as a tacit lament about how his own life is near its end (and has been for decades)--implying that everyone needs to cater to his fears of mortality first.