The Stuff He's Made Of

"What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails, and puppy-dogs' tails;
That's what little boys are made of!"

According to history, the "What are little boys made of" poem can be traced to the early 19th century, when the battle of the sexes had been apparently already raging. The words of "What are little boys made of" obviously reflect this, but what does of 'snips and snails' mean? Various interpretations have been suggested, but the one with the most credibility is that the original words were in fact 'snips of snails', wherein 'snips' meant 'little bits of'.

Despite being a member of the opposite sex, I wouldn't like to think that my husband was made of 'little bits of snails and puppy dog tails'. Nor that I gave birth to a boy made of the same.

My son, Raphael Josef, is certainly made of the good stuff. His name alone speaks of virtues and strength. Raphael, in Hebrew, means 'God has healed'. Thus, the archangel Raphael is known as the 'healer'. Josef is Slavic for Joseph, the Carpenter, husband of Mary, foster father of Jesus, pillar of strength. His nickname, Raj, is also a formidable name, which is Hindi for 'king'.

Raj, in all his seven years, has a winsome personality. He is witty yet diplomatic, friendly and outgoing, authoritative yet respectful, cheerful and energetic, masculine yet gentle. He is smart and wise for his age, and yet is innocent and pure.

He may not always readily do what we, his parents, ask of him and sometimes may question our reasons, but he would obey us in the end.

He may tease and play tricks on his sister, but he incessantly dotes on her and protects her.

He's made of the good stuff. The stuff that will make him into a great person one day.