It’s funny the things you save to remember people you’ve lost. When my dad died earlier this year and I helped my stepmom clean out his stuff, I kept his prescription aviator sunglasses and a mostly used bottle of Aqua Velva — I knew I couldn’t toss those two things that distinctly make up my forever mental picture of my dad.

I have them displayed on a shelf by my desk as both a tribute and so I can reach over and unscrew that cologne cap whenever I want to remember what my dad would smell like when he was getting himself hyped up for social interactions.