The Top 5 Things I Don't Want to Forget From My Trip to My Uncle's Funeral Last Week

1. How my cousin’s 3-year-old son ran towards me with open arms for a hug when I first arrived.

2. Driving past fields and fields of corn on a sunny day, listening to Tom Petty and Fleetwood Mac, and thinking about how my dad probably did the same thing when he was young.

3. Seeing my grandma speak to her older sister for the first time in decades.

4. The very specific smell of my grandma’s house, which is somehow exactly as I remember it, even though I haven’t been there since 2006.

5. Having a conversation with my cousin about what it’s like when your dad dies.