illustration of a banana with the words bye-bye banana

I was just making a smoothie with my four-year-old. She’s not, I should note, known for her sentimentality. In fact, she can often be a little prickly. That’s why we love her (of course).

But today was a bit different. I was getting some berries out of the freezer while she peeled a banana. As she dropped it into the blender, I heard her say “Bye-bye banana. I love you.

I think there’s a lesson here about gratitude. A practice of appreciating the things that serve us in some small ways, even when they’re unseen in the final product.

In addition, when I peel a banana from now on I plan to say “Bye-bye banana. I love you,” before starting to eat it. I invite you to do the same.