Lazy or Laid Back?

I know you can't tell from this picture, but college was hard.  In addition to a ridiculous course load, there were expectations of practicing for 2 hours a day.  I survived and graduated Magna Cum Laude, but the real feat was keeping my sanity. My motto was: Do the Bare Minimum.

There was just no time to actually finish everything I should have done.  Yes, I wanted to turn out to be a good music teacher, but I also wanted to turn out to be a good friend and wife.  And because I didn't spend two hours a day practicing, I had time to invest in Herb in college, which is turning out to be a really good choice.

Sometimes I felt like I was being lazy with my bare minimum motto, but it was a spectacular life lesson in sifting out the Really Important Stuff from the Busy Work.  And let's be honest, my finishing GPA tells me that my bare minimum was good enough.

When I started teaching, I adopted the same policy.  I LOVED my job as an elementary school music teacher, but it wasn't the only thing going on in my life. Thankfully, I had administrative support that felt similarly.  In my first year, my principal pulled me into his office for a little heart to heart. He said,

"Michelle, we are so glad to have you here.  But I know being a teacher is not all that's important to you.  First you are a wife, then you are a daughter, then you are a friend, then you are a teacher."

I know that was a little scandalous for a principal to say, and maybe you don't agree with it, but to me it was amazing perspective.

Now that I've been a mom for 10 months (and believe me, I'm no expert), I've started to reflect how these personality traits and work habits have transferred into motherhood.  

Whenever someone tells me I'm a laid back mom, for some reason I feel like it's the best compliment ever. I hope it never comes off as laziness, because this little dude is definitely the most important thing in the world to me (along with his daddy).   Isn't it funny though, how laid back and lazy could be so close to each other?

From college to career to parenting, I think my laid back principals compliment motherhood the best, not to mention for the first time in my life, my most important thing is my career. 

I wouldn't say I'm doing the bare minimum mothering necessary, but I feel like I am a lot more chill than most new mothers tend to be.  I have sifted out what I feel to be the REALLY IMPORTANT aspects of parenting, and let the other stuff take a back seat.  

Or, Levi has just been a super easy content kid.

I have to give God some major props though.  I told Him that I was really nervous about being a mom and that I didn't want to do it unless He was all over it, and He is faithful.  Me being a mom is the perfect example of this quote: 

"He doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called."

And also, 

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." (Phil 4:13)

So thanks to all those people who have stood behind and beside us in support for the last year.  I treasure all the wisdom gained from other parents and all the prayers offered up on our behalf.  I know we still have a long road of parenting to go and this "Chill Mom" thing might only last for a season, but for now, I'm just going to enjoy it!