This song goes out to "Sean":
The words, for those of you who don't know, come from Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3, verses 1 through 8. This is my favorite passage from the Bible. It expresses a universal sentiment. Everyone knows this passage.
This is the passage I read at my mom's funeral. Later, it was read by
Boisfeuillet Jones, Jr. at
Ben Bradlee's funeral.
Ecclesiastes 3 King James Version (KJV)
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.