Do you ever notice how life rarely follows the script? We start off thinking we have a good sense of how things will go. We follow a particular path, check the boxes, raise our kids, go to work, and maybe retire if we’re lucky. And then, suddenly, life tosses something completely unexpected our way. Sometimes it’s hard. Other times, it’s terrific. And every so often, it’s both.
Here’s the thing we don’t talk about enough: it’s never too late to rewrite the story. To start again. To feel something new. To love, to move, to reconnect, or even to begin something completely different from what you thought your life would be.
I’ll admit that it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that doors are closed after a certain age. Society, and even our inner voice, can be pretty loud about that. We’re told romance is for the young, adventure is for people with fewer responsibilities, and significant changes are for people who haven’t yet “settled down.” But the truth is, those rules? They’re made up. They’re not law. They’re not set in stone. We can walk through new doors at 30, 60, or 85 years old. Age isn’t the barrier we think it is. Mindset is.
Dr. Thomas McMeekin’s story, for example, is a beautiful reminder of what’s possible when we let go of the script and stay open to what life might still have in store. If you’re unfamiliar with him, take a few minutes to visit his website at thomasmcmeekin.com. His journey is not just amazing but also very relatable. He shows that new beginnings may come in the most unexpected ways, even after a lifetime of love, loss, work, and everything else.
In his book Tampa Airport Proposal, A Love Story, Tom shares how a last-minute decision to attend a high school reunion turned into something life-changing. What started as a nostalgic trip quickly became a whirlwind of reconnection, affection, and, ultimately, a proposal that went viral. And here’s the part that sticks with me: none of it was planned. He just followed the pull in his gut, that feeling that maybe, just maybe, there was still more story to be written.
That’s not easy. It takes a lot of courage to open up again later in life. After heartbreak, after the routines of long relationships, or even after losing people you thought you’d grow old with. There’s a kind of vulnerability that comes with starting again, but also a kind of magic.
We tend to think that reinvention is something that happens once. We get one big life reboot, usually somewhere in our twenties or thirties, and then the rest is just maintenance. But in real life, things don’t work that way. We are constantly evolving, changing, losing old skin, and finding new pieces of ourselves. Sometimes, that transition makes you sad. Sometimes, it gives you a second wind.
And that second wind? It can be powerful.
I’ve seen people in their seventies start new businesses, fall in love again, travel solo for the first time, or finally move to that little cabin in the woods they always dreamed about. I’ve watched widows and widowers laugh again, watched parents reinvent themselves once their children were grown, and seen folks retire from one job only to discover a completely different calling in the years that followed.
None of them had it all figured out. Most of them were terrified. But they did it anyway.
And here’s the thing: you don’t need a dramatic event or a grand gesture to rewrite your life’s script. Sometimes, it starts with a simple email. Or a text. Or showing up somewhere you were hesitant to go. Sometimes, it’s just saying “yes” when you’re used to saying “maybe later.”
One of my favorite things about Tom’s story is that it wasn’t about escaping life. It was about stepping more fully into it. At an age when many people are slowing down, he chose to dive headfirst into love. That’s bold. And it’s real. The best part is he didn’t do it because he was trying to prove something. He did it because it felt right.
That’s the kind of authenticity we need more of, especially as we get older. Not the performative kind. Not the one that says, “Look what I can still do.” But the sort that says, “I’m still here.” I’m still feeling stuff. And I’m not done yet.
So, if you’ve been sitting with that nagging feeling that there might be something more for you, a connection, a career shift, a passion you’ve kept on the back burner, maybe this is your reminder that it’s not too late. Perhaps it’s not even late at all. Maybe you’re right on time.
Start small. Reach out. Sign up. Get curious. Say yes.
You don’t need a map to begin again. You need the willingness to wander a little. The path will start to show itself once you do.
Whether you’re 28 or 78, life has a funny way of surprising us when we stop trying to control the plot and just let the story unfold.
So here’s to second chances, third acts, and fourth loves. Here’s to those who are brave enough to keep their hearts open, even when it would be easier to close them. Here’s to all of us who are still learning how to live, one unplanned moment at a time.