Laudator Temporis Acti

St. Augustine, Letters 213.1 (tr. Roland J. Teske):

In this life we are all subject to death, and the last day of this life is always uncertain for every human being. Yet in infancy one looks forward to childhood, and in childhood one looks forward to adolescence, and in adolescence one looks forward to young adulthood, and in young adulthood one looks forward to maturity, and in maturity one looks forward to old age. Whether it will come is uncertain, and yet one looks forward to it. Old age, however, does not have another age that it looks forward to. It is also uncertain how long one's old age will be; it is certain, nevertheless, that no age remains that will come after old age.

omnes in hac vita mortales sumus et dies huius vitae ultimus omni homini est semper incertus. verum tamen in infantia speratur pueritia et in pueritia speratur adolescentia et in adolescentia speratur iuventus et in iuventute speratur gravitas et in gravitate speratur senectus. utrum contingat incertum est; est tamen, quod speretur. senectus autem aliam aetatem, quam speret, non habet. incertum est enim, ipsa senectus quamdiu sit homini; illud tamen certum est, nullam remanere aetatem quae possit succedere senectuti.