What are little boys made of?
Well, there is a little nursery rhyme from the 19th century… which claims they are made of snips and snails and puppy-dogs’ tails.
It goes on to say that little girls are all about sugar and spice and everything nice.
Two immediate observations about this verse. 1. These are sweeping generalizations. 2. They are sexist. But what the hey. It was published in England, in 1820. It could have been much worse, I suppose.
But I will continue to argue against it. You see, we had three of our grandsons over tonight. They might have a little bit of puppy tail in them, I suppose. If you stretch things… they can be a little slow when you ask them to do something. Like snails. And. As far as the snips go? Well there you have me.
At any rate, they certainly add spice. And sugar. And it is always nice to be around them.
Mary is forever figuring out fun ways to get them over. The schematics tonight included a campfire, hotdogs and fixings… …. S’mores and all. So 3 of the grand boys opted in. I didn’t do much of the campfire scene. Anything below 50 degrees is too cold for me. Wimp. Big Wimp.
But I did spend some time out with them, flying the drone, and hanging out at our petting zoo of goats, geese, and chickens.
And back in the warmth of home, Mary read them a book about fish, and then I drew pictures with them… of fish, and turtles, and crabs, and sharks.
All of it may sound mundane, but I will tell you, there wasn’t a dull moment. From ropes breaking at the swing tree, to the discovery of Dorothy’s chicken egg. It all is very full of spice. And sugar. And everything nice.
It is always such a joy to see the wonder. To see those little wheels…. constantly turning. Those little brains and hearts have such a need for the fuel of discovery. And oh how they fill their tanks up. They pump you for information, with a plethora of questions. And observations.
Sometimes, they catch you off guard. And you must be certain of your words, because they are certainly listening. It is important to be true. I think.
Whether we realize it or not, our life is filled with important moments. One right after the next. They are all important, and precious. Whether we are eating beans and hotdogs, or volunteering at the food bank.
But one of the most important things we can do in life, is to be there for one another. To share, to care, to listen, to help. To be.
I’m not always the fine person I want to be. But I learn lessons about that every day. And tonight, I learned more about this from those little snips and snails, and puppy dog tails.
It doesn’t really matter what you name them…. the lives of those little boys.
I just know that the world is a better place because they are in it.