They say no two births are the same and that every child brings with them a different rhythm, a different stretch of grace, and a new dimension of love. Well, our second kiddo proved that true in every possible way!
Our precious Eila Amari was born just a few weeks ago, and while I’ve always known my wife is strong, I watched in absolute awe this time (the first one was an emergency delivery)! She braved this major surgery in delivery once more, and now entered the sleepless first days of breastfeeding, the emotional rollercoaster of postpartum recovery, all while making space for our toddler to feel just as loved. My wife didn’t just survive these. She anchored us through them.
When You Need All the Help You Can Get
Paternity leave in the Philippines isn’t exactly generous. With only a few days officially allotted, you quickly realize that bringing a new human into the world while also keeping up with work, household, and life requires a kind of strength that goes way beyond policy. But another beautiful part of this season has been the quiet, steady presence of our family.
My mom and mother-in-law have been taking turns staying with us to help taking care of our toddler, doing household chores, and simply being there when we needed an extra hand or a warm meal. It’s one of the things I truly appreciate about our culture: this deep, almost instinctive sense of bayanihan within the family. There’s no need for grand gestures; just the daily acts of love and service that carry us through. Friends and relatives checking in, sending food, offering prayers — all these small things reminded us that while parenthood is a personal journey, it’s never meant to be walked alone. It really does take a village, and I’m so thankful we have one.
A Little Plot Twist
Just when we thought we’ve found our rhythm through the hardest part, we got the call no new parent wants: our newborn’s needed for continuous phototherapy. For a few days, we had to be admitted in the hospital, and it felt like the longest 36 hours of my life. But we made it through! In between back-and-forths, we managed to throw together a birthday party for kuya Dale. Not because everything was okay, but because he needed to feel that, somehow, his world was still okay — that even when everything was shifting, he was still deeply celebrated.
Parenting has a way of stretching your capacity in ways you didn’t think possible. That day, I learned that love multiplies, but so does exhaustion. I can tell my wife and I are stretched quite thin, but I’m just really proud that we were handling it with grace.
Returning to Work, Holding All the Pieces
As I’ve mentioned, paternity leave here in the Philippines isn’t exactly generous. Returning to work after all that felt… surreal.
I was tired and sleepless, but on my day 1 back to work, I also felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Because I wasn’t walking back into deadlines and pressure alone. I was walking into a team. This team that didn’t just ask how I was. They made space for me to be however I was. They let me ease back in without guilt by giving me exemptions on some tasks, and allowing me to skip some meetings as needed. My manager mentioned that she knows I’d bring my best again — just not all at once. And in doing so, they all gave me the most meaningful gift you can offer someone at work: trust.
In my work in Learning and Organizational Development, we often talk about the importance of psychological safety, flexibility, and employee engagement. But those things don’t live in decks or leadership playbooks. They live in moments. In how a team responds when one of their own is in a life transition.
That flexibility? That grace? That trust? It speaks volumes about your culture — and it doesn’t just support the person going through it. It sets the tone for everyone else watching.
A Culture of Compassion is a Culture of Strength
Practice of empathy tends to create a sense of being soft or vulnerable, and often associated to ineffectiveness. But I’ve seen the opposite. When people feel seen and supported, they return with deeper engagement, stronger loyalty, and more energy to give back. This applies both in family settings and at work. You can’t shortcut morale, but you can build it, one human-centered moment at a time.
For leaders and teammates reading this: sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do isn’t to solve someone’s problem but to give them space. To believe they’re doing their best. To cover for them quietly. To celebrate the good even when things feel messy. That little flexibility could mean the world to someone juggling newborn cries, toddler tantrums, and hospital runs. Trust me on this.
Finding Grace in the Middle of It All
In the quiet 3AM feeds, in the hospital waiting room, in the tiny moments of sibling bonding between our toddler and newborn… I found myself whispering again and again: “Thank You, Lord.”. Not because everything was easy. But because He was present through it all.
I’ve seen the Lord’s goodness in my wife’s resilience.
I’ve seen it in the eyes of my son as he adjusts to becoming a kuya.
I’ve seen it in the smile of our daughter under those hospital lights, fighting her own little battle.
I’ve seen it in the gentle check-ins from colleagues, the flexible deadlines, the messages that said, “Don’t worry, we got this.”
God shows up through people. Through the ability to keep showing up even when you’re running on three hours of sleep and sheer love.
So What’s the Point of All This?
If you’re a leader , be the kind of teammate or manager who gives people room to show up fully human.
If you’re a new parent, hang in there. You’re doing better than you think.
If you know someone going through the same or a similar journey, be there for them. Check how they are doing, maybe a little check-in could make the feel a lot different.
And if you’re someone in the middle of a hard but holy season — trust that grace is real. And that the Lord never misses a moment to be with you in the messy middle.
For us, this season has been a whirlwind. But through it all, one thing remains true: we are held. We are sustained. And we are deeply, deeply blessed.
Thank You, Lord. For new life, for old routines, for the village You’ve surrounded us with — and for the strength to return, not empty, but full of wonder.
If you found this helpful or encouraging, feel free to share it with someone going through a similar season. Parenthood isn’t always picture-perfect, but it’s always worth it — especially when you know you’re not alone.