The annual rite of passage for college freshman is well underway. I would argue 99.9% of freshman are happily immersed in their new surroundings, and for many, they are enjoying the first taste of a (somewhat) sovereign life.  I would also argue with equal confidence that the parents of these happy and newly-freed baby birds are experiencing hints of sadness knowing that their children are growing up—and fast. I imagine that this is a similar sentiment to what I felt when I put my little kindergartner on the bus for the first day of school last week.

I was not surprised when a conversation took place between some new empty-nesters this weekend regarding the emotional roller coaster they’ve experienced over the past several weeks. They offered advice to each other squarely focused on writing letters to their kids. It was incredible – a group of ladies in their forties waxing poetic about writing handwritten notes to their kids. Each woman had a smart phone in hand – obviously, they are equipped with the latest and greatest technology. With her device in hand – “My daughter loves little surprises in the mail.” “The letters are cathartic for me,” said another. “I get to tell him how proud I am without embarrassing him or getting shift-deleted. He loves my letters.”

$.49 does not buy much today. It does buy these moms peace of mind, smiles, and the assurance that they are remembered for a moment. My bet is every one of those letters makes its home in a little box where they can be read again and again. I don’t think there are any emails, tweets or IMs in those boxes. It’s fitting they call them Forever Stamps, don’t you think?