What makes you feel nostalgic?

When it comes to feeling nostalgic, my trips down memory lane start with my senses — mainly smell and touch.

The smell of my maternal grandfather’s pipes. The music — often classical or musicals — coming from outdoor speakers at my paternal grandparents’ home. The feel of soft yarn running through my fingers as I crochet as it reminds me of lessons from my mom. The rhythmic back and forth of waves remind me of my past experiences with large bodies of water — my favorite nemesis (it’s a long story for another time).

It’s kind of funny how the sense take you back in time.

We moved a few months ago. I’m still unpacking and trying to figure out where to put things. I recently came across a collage my brother made of photos of our late father that is on a shadow box featuring one of dad’s infamous Hawaiian shirts as the background.

I can place some of the photos, but I see past them, recalling memories of our father through the shirt. The fact that my daughter and I have picked up his habit of collecting these wildly loud shirts speaks to how some things just run in the family. They are almost a family badge of honor. Maybe they are his way of being with us still.

My love of Dr. Pepper and peppermint patties comes from my mom. I remember her getting mad at me when I accidentally picked up Diet Dr. Pepper for her while visiting family. She cried and I felt really bad. I made a mental note not to screw that up again. So far, I haven’t.

Certain things that wow your senses can remind you of bad stuff too. Maybe it’s a nostalgia that keeps you and your loved ones safe.

As my kids transition from youths to teens and young adults, I see nostalgia all around my house. The mass amount of skin and hair care products, laundry piled wherever they drop it, and the attempt to keep up with others reminds me of uncertain, and often unhappy, times in my life — several years that shaped me for decades, even now.

In some cases, their self-confidence is leaps and bounds over mine at that age. In those circumstances, their path goes a bit against society’s standards but makes me excited for them. I want to see where this goes. I feel more connected to them than I did when they were small. But we’re also at the stage where parents are embarrassing. So, in some ways I try to use a gentle nudge rather than a huge push to make sure they’re on the right path.

Nostalgia comes to me in many forms, most often through smell or touch. It makes me look at the past to get a gauge on how far I’ve come.