My name is a Latin American name derived from my mom and dad’s native country Mexico. 

My parents thought I was going to be a girl, so they had names like Carmen and Rebecca picked out. Later on, when they knew I was a boy they were stumped. 

My mom liked the name Richard and Darious as well as Enzo. But she always says that the names didn't feel right. 2 weeks before I was born, she went to church that weekend and they talked about the story Of Jarious. She loved the story of how God was there for Jarious’s daughter when she was basically dead. She said she was thinking a lot about the story and the name Jarious ever since then. 

After that weekend she read the story 3 more times. but instead of reading it in English she read it in Spanish. She loved the name even more in Spanish because Jarious translated it to Jairo. She loved how smooth it was. And when they asked for the name, my mom and Dad were both on board.

The name Jairo has the Hebrew meaning “He Shines”. And my mom loved the meaning. She always thought I was going to be a very bright kid. To this day she still says the name is perfect because in her eyes I resemble a summer sunset when the sky is orange and a shade of purple. She says I light up a dark or dull room and am one of the kindest and most compassionate people out there. Me on the other hand doesn't always see it that way and I always see myself as a more reserved person and keep to myself sometimes even someone somewhat mysterious because i keep to myself so much. Not really someone who impacts a lot. But as I have been growing as a person and mentally, I see little by little in me what my mom and Family saw since the beginning.

My Parents say Jairo feels like sand and sounds like a wave crashing against a cliff or a rock near a beach. And this is one of my favorite things someone has said about my name and even though I didn't always like my name. I have learned to love it.