Mom and Dad, congrats! You have managed to successfully raise three children who are now all out of the house and living independently. That is truly impressive! Although you have both expressed to me that you are weary of being empty nesters, I can see many benefits and things to be excited about.

Firstly, no one is left to wreak havoc upon the house! You can officially say goodbye to broken windows and furniture from Sam and me rough-housing and playing games that were not meant to be played inside. Now you can buy all of the nice furniture you want and sleep happily, knowing that it won’t be broken by the next day.

Secondly, you will have complete control of the TV. This means that you guys will no longer have to sit through watching Liz and my favorite cringe-worthy shows, like The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Keeping up with the Kardashians, or Sam’s endless stream of football.

Thirdly, the house will be more peaceful than ever! With all three of us out of the house, you two will no longer have to listen to our constant bickering and shenanigans. And, no more doors opening and slamming in the middle of the night when we return home from being out with friends. Lastly, you two will have more free time than ever and you can finally focus on things you’ve always wanted to do. You will no longer have to attend cold cross country and track meets, no more late night football games, and no more parent-teacher conferences. You two have been running kids around for 24 years, and now you finally have time to relax and do what you guys want.

I know there will be days when the silence seems louder than even the noisiest of arguments between the three of us kids. When those days come, look back at this list and I’m sure you will be able to find at least one thing to be happy about. However, don’t get too excited about these things being over, because they never truly are. No matter how old Lizzy, Sammy, and I get, we will always be your rambunctious little children. I love you, my empty nesters. It took many years, but you finally did it.

Gemma Tursi

Health & Lifestyle Writer