Beautiful Footprints

This morning was absolutely gorgeous!!  I took my time walking the kids to school so I could smell the air and listen to the birds.  And I took the long way home in the car after I dropped TCD off at school, with the windows open and the music blaring (the MP3 is on I's today, so it was Journey, I'll Be Alright Without You and then MCC, In the Name of Love.) 

It was one of those mornings that made me feel inspired, motivated, empowered...for what, I'm not sure.  But it definitely wasn't a "curl up with a book" kind of a day.  

This morning I was reading Mosiah 15, and it made me think about what I could be motivated toward today...  

And these are they who have published peace, who have brought good tidings of good, who have published salvation; and said unto Zion: Thy God reigneth!

And O how beautiful upon the mountains were their feet!

And again, how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those that are still publishing peace!

And again, how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those who shall hereafter publish peace, yea, from this time henceforth and forever!

And behold, I say unto you, this is not all. For O how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that is the founder of peace, yea, even the Lord, who has redeemed his people; yea, him who has granted salvation unto his people

Abinadi (and Isaiah) were talking about the prophets' figurative feet upon the mountains in that scripture, but it made me think about footprints.  Surely we all have some kind of footprints that we're leaving.

When we lived in Mendon, we poured a large cement patio just outside the backdoor of our kitchen.  It was a great addition to the backyard and it provided an outdoor "room" when we needed to accommodate more than just the six of us in our small kitchen.   The cement truck arrived at some ridiculously early hour...maybe 7am??...in order to give the patio enough time to dry throughout the day.  Two or three guys poured and smoothed and leveled and evened for about an hour.  We were really happy with the finished product and when they left, we warned all the kids NOT TO WALK anywhere near the patio for the rest of the day until it was completely dry.  (I'm sure you can already see where I'm going with this story, can't you?)

Not an hour later, our cutie pie, June, decided to run down the ENTIRE LENGTH of the patio.  And, of course, it was not yet completely dry.   So we were left with about 18" of little June footprints down the south edge of the patio.  At the time, we were not very happy with her.  

I remember my husband doing a lot of pacing and counting and cooling off.  But, after a few years, we started to smile every time we saw those little footprints (well, I did).  It's definitely become a fond memory.

There have been times that I've left not so beautiful footprints...not like June's...like the really muddy, yucky ones, that stain both the floor and your feet for a long time and probably haven't turned into fond memories for anyone yet.

But on days like this, when the sky is gorgeous and the air is crispy and breezy, I feel inspired to do something better than what I've done before.  I know I'm not a Prophet, and my footprints will not be beautiful like King Benjamin's or President Monson's, but maybe I can aspire toward at least pretty footprints.  Visiting teaching, Temple work, making cookies, being a good friend, genealogy, saying nice things...I'm not sure what it is yet, but I'm sure if I keep looking something will strike me.

Who knows, maybe my children will be my most beautiful footprints.