The Game of Life

The last several evenings, we have been playing the boardgame Life before bedtime. I am a sucker for life's metaphors and this family pasttime provides many. Some things I have learned from the game of Life:

• Life is a gamble...a mixture of both luck and good decision-making.
• While a college degree is the way to go in life...it doesn't guarantee you success and wealth. You still have to walk the same path as anyone else.
  
• Its a good idea to buy insurance and to pay back your debts early in life.
• Once you have kids, you can't give them back. (My 7 year-old stepdaughter posed this question).
  
• Everything you have can be taken from you in a matter of seconds, so don't get too cocky or comfortable with your fortune.
• Sometimes you actually have more than you realize you have, so don't waste too much time beating yourself up about being "behind".
  
• Along the same lines, you should never assume that someone has more than you just by looking at what they have or seeing a certain confidence in their expression.
• In the end, we all pretty much end up in the same place.