The summer is a time of relaxation, hot weather, pool parties, and, of course, the always daunting summer job.

This past summer, I decided to spend my vacation with one more paying job before delving into the world of free labor internships. After working 4 months of 5-day weeks and almost 12-hour days, I grew more this summer than I would have in any internship. And thanks to my 2 amazing boys, it was a summer I will never forget.

The biggest thing that I learned over the course of my employment was how to be understanding. Spending all day every day with 2 elementary-age boys is something that will test anyone's patience. Whether it was a brotherly pounding because someone stole someone else's Nerf bullets, or a tantrum because the toy store didn’t open until 11, every action was in reaction to something else.

And the most common culprit was simply bad luck.

There were many times I found myself hiding out in the basement laundry room, seeking just a minute away from the screaming and tears as I tried to calm myself down. But in the end, having a level head and an understanding tone always does more than getting frustrated in return.

Besides learning the art of instant meditation, the next area that I grew in this summer was my people skills. Not only with children, but with adults. Let me tell you, the morning kindergarten lineup is not just a place for kids to socialize, the crazy kindergarten moms are out in full force. I quickly learned how the class dynamic was run.

These women are there for one reason: their precious and valuable children. Nothing will stop them from protecting, promoting, and ensuring that their kids get the best of the best.

Within a week I was an expert in mother gossip, and protecting my boys from the critiques was something I was determined to succeed in. By my final week of kindergarten duty, I had learned how to work with people and set my place. I realized when the right time was to speak up, and when the right time was to hold my tongue as well. I found a balance between holding my ground and feeding into the drama, and, in the end, it benefitted my boys as well.

The final lesson that I learned this summer is something that my boys taught me. Plain and simple, it is the meaning of unconditional love.

No matter what happened, through physical fights and tears and angry words, within 5 minutes of separation, all my boys would ask is “Can I go back and play with my brother now? I miss him.” There was no such thing as holding a grudge, and forgiveness came perfectly in stride with the word “sorry.” All that mattered was that they were still brothers. And the same thing went for me; no matter what words were said to me or how much they disliked my discipline, within a few minutes I was getting a hug for cheering them up when they were sad.

Children love unconditionally, they love blindly, and they love wholeheartedly.

These are the people who should be teaching us how to live because love is exactly what we need more of in the world today. I am so incredibly thankful for all of my adventures with my boys, and for everything they have taught me in life. Seeing my hard work with them pay off means more to me than anything I could have done working in an office this summer, or anything that I could have put on my resumé.