To Abide

To abide is to dwell in an abode; to remain; to know and live by the house rules; to put down roots and plant a garden and tend it; to trust that the Homeowner is good and will return at the end of every day; to joyfully receive and consume exquisite, banquet-quality foods at every meal (without fear of gaining weight!); to enter the bedchamber fully known and fully trusting and fully wanted; to have clean clothes and regal adornments as befits a member of the family; to have a place to call home and to rest peacefully and restoratively; to play in the yard and roam the halls without fear and with full access because you belong; to attend family gatherings, both the fun and the mundane; to speak and be heard, to hear and to heed; to curl up on a sofa with photo albums about while memories are shared; to laugh and weep together, knowing yesterday is forgiven, tomorrow is a new day, and today is all that matters right now.