Quotations and Literature Forum

Hi to everyone-sorry for my first post to be a question but any help would be much appreciated....

My mother is using a quote for a plaque in her workplace and it would be great if she knew its origins.

The quote is...'remember son as you are now so once was i....', the issue that we are having trying to source its origins include the differing endings that seem to be applied depending on its usage and also we think it may be a Bible extract, as it has been used as an epitaph since the 1800's and we recently heard a Catholic priest using a version of the saying at a recent mass.

Again as I have said before the exact saying does vary but any background info on the origins of any variation would be great,

Many thinks,
Lyndsey

The originator is unknown, but it is a common epitaph on gravestones from Europe to the U.S. It appears to be European in origin and one site found it on an "ancient Scottish tombstone." As you suggest, there are many variations to the inscription.