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.
But how can family pride be installed in their source code?
I paid attention to what I saw other families doing, not just famous families but those in my day-to-day life.
They all had one thing in common; they had a strong history of their family’s accomplishments. I imagine that they felt a sense of belonging to something great.
My daughters needed to feel proud of those that came before them. But as a family, I didn’t have many stories to share. My family hadn’t accomplished anything of great significance.
I was wrong. I just had to become a better storyteller. So, I began to write those stories for our family. I started a new tradition of storytelling.
I reminded them that they came from a culture that stretches back thousands of years. I shared with them their grandparents’ stories and the risks they took to bring us to America. They learned about their struggles and how they survived the new land with little money but a strong work ethic and grit. I told them about how I was the first in our family to learn English, graduate from high school, and why I started my own business to be more involved in their lives.
It made them proud to be an Aguirre. We scream our family name when we see it on buildings.
Instilling and installing this mindset was critical. It’s a foundational belief that would serve my babies when they find themselves struggling and doubting themselves. Life does that to all of us. They have a family history that proves that they come from greatness.
They now tell me that they plan on keeping our family name when they marry.
Installation complete.
