“Babies haven’t any hair. Old men’s heads are just as bare Between the cradle and the grave Lies a haircut and a shave.” ——- Samuel Hoffenstein “The first half of life consists of the capacity to enjoy without the chance; the last half consists of the chance without the capacity.” ——- Mark Twain “It is...Read More

The River of Life by Thomas Campbell (1777-1824) The more we live, more brief appear Our life’s succeeding stages; A day to childhood seems a year, And years like passing ages. The gladsome current of our youth, Ere passion yet disorders, Steals lingering like a river smooth Along its grassy borders. But as the careworn...Read More

The concept of rites of passage was first articulated by anthropologist Arnold van Gennep (1873-1957) in his book The Rites of Passage, first published in 1908.   In this seminal work, van Gennep subdivided rites of passage into three sub-categories:  rites of separation, transition rites, and rites of incorporation.  These rites might represent components of one...Read More

We’ve all played games produced by the Milton Bradley Company:  Battleship, Candyland, Jenga, Twister, Yahtzee, and many more.  But did you know that the first board game created by Milton Bradley himself back in 1860, was based on the stages of life?  It was called “The Checkered Game of Life.”   The gameboard was a modification of a...Read More

At five years old a person should study the Scriptures at ten years for the Mishnah, at thirteen for the commandments, at fifteen for the Talmud, at eighteen for the bridechamber, at twenty for one’s life pursuit, at thirty for authority, at forty for discernment, at fifty for counsel, at sixty to be an elder,...Read More