The readers of my blog posts know I love to share some of my life experiences, hoping the posts will lend some positivity and wisdom to those who are reading. A few months ago, I had a very odd exchange with a male acquaintance. I wasn’t sure if he was having a bad day, or if he was trying to be verbally aggressive with me, but either way, he was acting out of his normal character.
As a young girl, I remember reciting the popular nursery rhyme “What are little boys made of?” My recitation was often made as a rebuke of some young boy’s behavior. Thought to be the work of the English poet Robert Southey (1774–1843), the nursery rhyme “What are little boys made of?” went something like this:
What are little boys made of? What are little boys made of? Snips and snails And puppy-dogs' tails That's what little boys are made of What are little girls made of? What are little girls made of? Sugar and spice And everything nice [or "all things nice" That's what little girls are made of
The author’s intention is not to simply create a literary caricature depicting boys and girls, but to address the behavioral differences between boys and girls. To be described as being sugar and spice, typically means that an individual is behaving in a kind and friendly way. Then there are snips and snails! Snips, describing an individual in bits or pieces (emotional disorder), and snails, describing an individual as small and slow (perhaps physically and/or mentally).
As a mother, a teacher, a professional, and an influencer, I am very aware of how I might be perceived by others. I am far from being perfect, however, I try my hardest to consistently pour out lots of sugar and spice.
