"It is not the young man ...."

It is not the young man who should be considered fortunate but the old man who has lived well, because the young man in his prime wanders much by chance, vacillating in his beliefs, while the old man has docked in the harbor, having safeguarded his true happiness.

Epicurus

"Man is made God's plaything ...."

Man is made God’s plaything, and that is the best part of him. … Therefore every man and woman should live life accordingly, and play the noblest games. … What, then, is the right way of living?  Life must be lived as play.

Plato

"When his father ...."

When his father died, he could not read his father’s books – the faintly damp touch of his hand still seemed to remain.  When his mother died, he could not drink from her cups and bowls.  The faintly damp touch of her mouth and her breath still seemed to remain.

The Classic of Rites

"Old age offers the opportunity ...."

Old age offers the opportunity to integrate and bring together the multiplicity of directions that you have travelled.  It is a time when you can bring the circle of your life together where your longing can be awakened and new possibilities come alive for you.

John O’ Donohue

"When we fully understand the brevity of life ...."

 

“When we fully understand the brevity of life, its fleeting joys and unavoidable pains; when we accept the facts that all men and women are approaching an inevitable doom: the consciousness of it should make us more kindly and considerate of each other. This feeling should make men and women use their best efforts to help their fellow travelers on the road, to make the path brighter and easier as we journey on. It should bring a closer kinship, a better understanding, and a deeper sympathy for the wayfarers who must live a common life and die a common death.”

Clarence Darrow