Our twin girls Jade and Laila are three months old now. It’s also the half way mark of my 6 month paternity leave.

Taking this time has been one of the most rewarding and clarifying times in my adult life.

Some reflections from the first three months of parenting.

• It’s a scary and magical responsibility to steward a child’s early development. Scary because there is a a mountain of parenting advice out there and you’re never quite sure who to listen to. Magical because you get to be a part of someone’s journey in discovering everything for the first time. I don’t have all the words for this yet, so I’m just going to leave it there.

• Becoming a parent forced me to be very intentional about my own identity. Parenting twins is all-consuming and more intense than a full time job, even with help (I have the data). In preparation for this and leading up to my parental leave, I reflected deeply on the things that matter the most to me. That exercise helped to guide where I spend any free time I get. For me, making sure I had a productive and creative outlet was very important, which I’ve found in a few ways.

• I feel incredibly fortunate on so many levels. To have two healthy children, to have the love and support of family and friends, to live in a society with free healthcare. This experience has only heightened my civic sense. I have greater appreciation for the layers of social infrastructure that constitute privelege.