In class yesterday I told my students that I’ll pay the postage to mail a copy of their final reflections on “how to live well” to them in a year. I think they’ll enjoy re-reading what they wrote, and it will give them a chance to reflect on what progress they’ve made in a year.

I brought envelopes to class and asked students to write their mailing address on the envelopes.

It was a funny moment when we realized that their generation doesn’t really send mail.

A few of them sheepishly asked me to remind them how exactly to format their address on an envelope. They all learned it at some point, but generally enter their address into online forms that take care of the details.

We all laughed, and I heard some of them saying to friends “I can also write in cursive!” They’re “digital natives,” as they say.

Each year fewer students carry paper and pen with them. A few years ago my university replaced its bookstore with a swag store. That still feels like a loss to me, but my students are accustomed to carrying all their books on a digital reader.

I’ve really enjoyed this group of students, and their reflections and conversation about great texts this semester have reminded me why I do this work. I’m going to miss them all.

But I’ll put my return address on the envelopes I send. Who knows? Maybe one or two will send a reply.