2 min readHappy’s Place Season 3 is underway, and fans continue to flock to the series that feels like a slice of the golden days of sitcoms. While the show is meant to generate laughs, Happy’s Place has also become a relatable visual retreat where viewers can tune in, broaden their life views, and feel less alone all at once. One of the most powerful lessons to date? It’s never too late to start over.
When Happy’s Place first premiered, Bobbie (Reba McEntire) was adjusting to life without her father when her entire world was further flipped upside down when Isabella entered the picture. Learning to love, let alone accept, a complete stranger as family challenged Bobbie to rethink her life and the tavern’s trajectory. In the episodes since, Bobbie (and Isabella, for that matter) has opened up to a whole new world of possibilities, reminding viewers that it’s never too late to run a business, mend family ties, or fall in love.
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The way Reba sees it, being patient, keeping an open mind, and exploring the opportunities that come your way are key to starting over and navigating life at any age.
“I think you have to have an open mind; treat people the way you want to be treated; and have a loving spirit and a loving thought in your heart, and it’ll all work out fine,” she tells Country Living. “Maybe the timing isn’t exactly the way you want it right now, but have a little patience and let it work itself out… and if the universe, the Lord, or whoever is giving you an open door, take it. What do you have to lose?”
Bobbie isn’t the only character on the show to open herself up to endless possibilities at any age and to accept that life doesn’t always unfold exactly as planned. Gabby (Melissa Peterman) spent much of Season 2 dreaming of becoming a mother before reconnecting with her own mother to repair the damage that was done during childhood.
“I think that sometimes the thing that you think you want is not what you really need, and I like how that changed the whole motherhood journey that Gabby wanted—maybe she wasn’t really looking to become a mom; she was looking for more connection, and that’s what she ended up finding,” Melissa tells Country Living. “So I like that the path you think you are going to go on might not be the one you end up on, and you’re never too old to take that fork in the road.”
You’re also never too young to commit yourself to positive growth and change.
“You’re just going to get older tomorrow, so you may as well try something new,” Melissa says. “I love that [everyone on Happy’s Place] are all in very different places in their lives, but we’re all still changing and growing, and it’s never too late.”
New episodes of Happy’s Place air Fridays at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC.
Rebecca R. Norris is a lifestyle writer living on the outskirts of Boulder, Colorado. A print and digital contributor with more than 10 years of bylines under her belt, Rebecca has extensively covered travel, entertainment, home, fashion, beauty, wellness, and pet topics throughout her career. She is a graduate of George Mason University. There, she earned her B.A. in Media: Production, Consumption, and Critique, along with a minor in Electronic Journalism. When she’s not writing, Rebecca can be found lifting, laughing, strolling, hiking, traveling, and enjoying life with her fiancé and pups.