On Becoming a Better Man, Human, and Father
"Hey! Hey! Hey baby!"
I'm witnessing my big girl get "hit on" for the first time in real-time.
We had arrived at the restaurant to eat dinner hours earlier. While we're patiently waiting in the car, I see another car park beside us slowly.
I was so broke 12 years ago that I would just go to sleep at night to quell the hunger pains.
Money was scarce since I had just quit my job, and I was still figuring to generate opportunities for my new business.
I had to be creative and thrifty with anything I chose for my daughters. Here are some of our favorite cheap, fun, and engaging solutions that I found for play.
To me, confidence is a superpower, and I believe virtually all children have it at birth. They're tiny squishy organisms with no idea what they can and can't do.
The haters are in the room.
Girls, not everyone is going to like you. Ever. No matter how kind, respectful and helpful you are, there will be someone in the room that will likely be annoyed by you and think you're conceited or that you think you're "All that!"
I got this urgent text from my baby girl, Anastacia. I freaked out, thinking something was wrong. Super Daddy was ready to launch into action.
One of my worst Only having my daughters every other weekend forced me to be intentional with my parenting. I didn't have time to waste. I couldn't help but notice that as adults, we're constantly telling stories from our childhood. Pay close attention, and you'll hear it sprinkled in many conversations.nightmares as a father is imagining my daughters as 30-year-old adults struggling to cope with...
One of my worst nightmares as a father is imagining my daughters as 30-year-old adults struggling to cope with their childhood stories and traumas. As children of divorce, this seems inevitable.
I enjoy washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen after eating. Seeing the kitchen and dining area after it’s all done is satisfying. This first became a “thing” when I read an article by Leo Babauta in 2010 that impacted the way I approach all the mundane but necessary tasks of the day. wash your bowl “Have you eaten your rice porridge? Then you had better wash your bowl.” It’s become the default...
Knees weak, arms are heavy. I stood there. Nervous and sweaty in front of a room full of little boys and girls.
As a young father, I came across so many individuals who despised their family and family name. I found this heartbreaking.
I had to change that with my daughters. If I could instill a sense of pride in being an Aguirre, then many other lessons would be easier to teach.
That scarcity taught me to appreciate and maximize everything. I only had a few hours with them. It scared me straight since there was little to no time to waste. It’s almost as if there’s a countdown every weekend. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock… Every conversation mattered. Every choice mattered. Every activity mattered. A little dramatic, I suppose, but it kept us engaged...
I am the father of two brilliant young ladies. Anyone following me knows this withing 5 minutes. But I get this question fairly often, “Are you working on having a son?” or some variation of it. I am not at all. I’ve never felt that I had to have a son to feel complete. Part of the argument is that a boy will carry my name and my legacy on. I don’t completely believe that...
On Becoming a Better Man, Human, and Father