We once were young and full of cheer,
With all of life stretched out so clear.
Through dances, laughter, family, friends,
We never thought about the end.

Then came the years of work and care,
Of marriage, children everywhere.
We didn’t see time slipping past,
Or how those moments couldn’t last.

The parties, holidays, joy so grand,
We stood so proud, took life in hand.
But slowly seasons made their way,
And changed the course from day to day.

The children grew and moved along,
The house fell still, the days felt long.
An empty nest, a quieter space,
Where once was love in every place.

We tried with hobbies, clubs, and more,
To fill the ache we can’t ignore.
Yet deep inside, a space remains,
A silent echo of those days.

Now tests and doctors mark our time,
A slower step, a steeper climb.
The body bends, the spirit tires,
Far from our youth and all its fires.

We see ourselves and wonder why
The years have passed so swiftly by.
The faces staring back today
Seem strangers to who slipped away.

Our memories fade like evening light,
As day gives in to quiet night.
The sun is low, the shadows grow,
And time moves on, as time must go.

But hold us in your hearts as we
Were once alive and wild and free.
For though we change and age and part,
That younger soul still lives in heart.

Our friends and loved ones pass us by,
We pause to wonder, question why.
If only to look in the looking glass
And glimpse again the days long past.

We start as babes, in arms held tight,
And end with fear of fading light.
So don’t forget who we once were—
For time takes all… of that, be sure.