In Loving Memory of Owen Vest

A DREAM WITHIN A DREAM
Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.
I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep--while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

This Moment I may never see tomorrow;
there is no written guarantee,
And things that happened yesterday
belong to history,
I cannot predict the future,
I cannot change the past,
I have just the present moment,
I must treat it as my last
I must use this moment wisely
for it soon will pass away,
and be lost to me forever
as part of yesterday,
I must exercise compassion,
help the fallen to their feet,
Be a friend unto the friendless,
make an empty life complete
The unkind things I do today
may never be undone,
And friendships that I fail to win
may nevermore be won,
I may not have another chance
on bended knee to pray,
And thank God with humble heart
for giving me this day.
----Author Unknown----

One

One song can spark a moment,
One flower can wake the dream.
One tree can start a forest,
One bird can herald spring.
One smile begins a friendship,
One hand clasp lifts a soul.
One star can guide a ship at sea,
One word can frame the goal.
One vote can change a nation,
One sunbeam lights a room.
One candle wipes out darkness,
One laugh will conquer gloom.
One step must start each journey,
One word must start each prayer.
One hope will raise our spirits,
One touch can show you care.
One voice can speak with wisdom,
One heart can know what's true.
One life can make the difference,
You see it's up to YOU!

If I knew it would be the last time

That I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
And pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time
That I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
And call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word
so I could play it back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time
I could spare an extra minute or two,
To stop and say "I love you,"
Instead of assuming you KNOW I do.

If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day...
Well, I'm sure you'll have so many more,
So I can just let this one slip away.

For surely there's always tomorrow
To make up for an oversight,
And we always get a second chance
To make everything right.

There will always be another day
To say our "I love you's."
And certainly there's another chance
To say our "Anything I can do's?"

But just in case I might be wrong,
And today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you
And I hope we never forget...

(that...)

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
Young or old alike.
And today may be the last chance you get
To hold your loved one tight.

So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
Why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
You'll surely regret the day.

That you didn't take that extra time
For a smile, a hug, or a kiss.
And you were too busy to grant someone,
What turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,
And whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
And that you'll always hold them dear.

Take time to say "I'm sorry," "Please forgive me,"
"Thank you," or "It's okay."
And if tomorrow never comes,
You'll have no regrets about today.

My grandpap has passed away...... :( he died in his sleep last night, viewing tomorrow, funeral Saturday 9am. OMG first Gram and now him, but he is happy...he is with Gram :)

They always said...their love was like Mallard ducks. Mated for life. I don't think he could have managed to see Christmas with out her... his heart was so broken.

Our family is very saddened at this time but the eulogy read at his funeral has given us great comfort. Please share with us:

Dad's Eulogy 12-16-00

By: Leonard K. Cieslak, Jr.

Dad did things his way. There was the right way, the wrong way and dad's way. He had compassion on the unfortunate and often gave to others in their need. He believed in helping the working man and would help enough to keep a man working. I have seen him give parts & even cars to people if he saw their need - especially if they needed it for their job or family.

Dad had a work ethic. He would lay and think things through early in the morning. He would decide what he wanted to do and simply do it. He would tell me, "By the time people figure out what is happening I would have it done."

To mom I was "King Tut", but to Dad I was his "#1 son" and confidant. He loved and trusted me - at least that is how he made me feel.. We often talked about our ideas and plans, as he always wanted to know what I was doing & how I was doing it. He liked my work with the poor and needy in Kentucky and often suggested ways of doing things to help. He would talk to me about each of you and I guess talk to each of you about me. Then he would say, "Don't tell them what we are talking about."

He said of my move to Kentucky, "It is not home". He said of my marriage to Trish, "She is a good woman, but a 'hay seed'. . . .when she is home you are not & when you are home she is not". I think this feeling matured but never really changed. I felt he kept waiting for me to come home and work with him.

Dad did as he willed and lived his dreams. I took his spirit and banner with me to Kentucky to do the same. I have not achieved what he has yet, but I will. Dad was a soldier and believed in honor and duty. He was faithful and true. When I fell twice in my adopted home of Kentucky and hope waned with the doctors there - - he came and stood beside me like one would a fallen comrade. He carried me back "home" and stayed with me until I was well. Then he let me go again to complete my work.

He was a Mason, honorable and true to the end and even has his ring on now. He inspired me to petition the Blue Lodge in Kentucky. He came to Kentucky when I was raised to a Master Mason. He often got a laugh about our lack of symbolism in my lodge in the Kentucky hills. He would grin through his (false) teeth and say, "I like the way they really kill Hiram a Biff and you sure got your money's worth".

Dad liked to fish. He said he got into fishing because he "would work so hard all day that fishing just allowed him to sit & rest". I took him fishing just a few weeks ago & he really enjoyed himself, as he had not been able to go due to health reasons for over a year. He enjoyed beating me at fishing again - he called it "skunking" me. I accused him of spitting on the bait.

Mostly he loved winning & I often let him win. It was more fun. I found leaving from my visits harder & harder each time and even began hugging and kissing him on the forehead. You all know he was not a hugger or a kisser, but he seemed to tolerate this for me as the end seemed to be coming near. I will miss him. . . . Everything will be different without him. He has been my inspiration and he leaves a legacy for each of us to live up to. I would always say these words when I would leave, but now he is the one leaving. . . .

"See You Later Dad - I Love You"