When I got home for the summer, I needed to find a job. Nothing permanent, just something that would make me a little money while I was home from school. I applied to many jobs, but I was drawn to this sassy little girl who needed a babysitter. I accepted the job to be her sitter. Since I’ve had the job, I always hear snarky remarks from not only friends, but also family for not having a real job. “Why couldn’t you get a real job?” “You could be making a lot more money somewhere else.” “You really don’t work that hard anyway.” But what they don’t understand is, I’ve learned much more babysitting than I have at any “real job” that I’ve ever worked at. This little girl has taught me the virtues of responsibility and patience. I’ve learned to care for this little human being as if she were my own.

Not only am I a babysitter, I am so much more. At times, I’m a cook, a teacher, a chauffer, but most importantly, I’m a friend. I’m a friend who is teaching her how to read and how to add and subtract. I am a friend that makes sure she is eating right. I am a friend that gives her life advice when she’s too stubborn to listen to her mom. Sometimes I feel like I’ve bitten off more than I could chew. Little arguments about brushing her hair or going to bed on time can be extremely frustrating, but they have taught me how to be more patient. Cooking for two, when I barely knew how to cook for myself in the first place, has taught me to be more responsible. When it’s just me, I can get away with eating junk food or not eating at all, but she can’t fend for herself, and she needs to eat healthy so she can grow like she’s supposed to.

I’ve spent the past summer teaching her how to spell small words, read books, do simple math problems, and write letters and numbers, so that she is ready for first grade in the fall. But little does she know, that she has taught me so much more. I might have made more money working at a “real job,” but I gained knowledge and a friendship that will last me a lifetime. I am forever grateful for the summer I was able to spend with this little girl, teaching each other things we will never forget. It breaks my heart when she tells me that she never wants me to go, but we will always have the memories that we made together in the summer of 2016.