Sara

(Sara chose purple as her commenting color...)

Sara is a banana. The banana is such an unusual fruit in texture, looks, and juiciness (can you classify it as "juicy"). It doesn't really seem to have a "core", per say, but that doesn't mean it isn't there. In fact, the way I see it, the core pretty much works it's way throughout the banana and you can't ever avoid it. Avoid is the wrong word though, because you wouldn't want to avoid the core of a banana, it's too good. I think the core of a banana is what makes the banana so unique and delicious. Without it, the banana would cease to exist and would just be mush. It's a good thing that the banana has such a strong core. Ya, ya, you're thinking that there is nothing super "strong" about a banana, but that's where you are wrong! The banana is super strong in spirit, and even when you remove it's skin it can hold it's shape like no body's business. In fact, this is the way you will see many children holding onto bananas: the banana will be completely peeled and they just take a big bite out of it. Sometimes this can get messy and the child will go a little crazy squishing the poor banana, but more often than not, the child will share the banana without even being asked. This is especially true with young toddlers and babies that are first beginning to eat solid foods. We always turn to the banana first because it is such a welcoming fruit! I do my best.:-) The peel of a banana is unique in the fruit family. It is this outer layer that really gives away what's going on inside that banana. You can tell, just by looking at it, where the soft spots of the banana are. Sometimes the peel is really thick and you know there is a strong fruit inside that will be able to withstand just about anything. You bet! Even a thick skinned banana can be cut with a butter knife though. You can slice it up nice and neatly, dividing it amongst many people, or sometimes you can even cut it in half and save the other half for later. The cut end will blacken a bit, but other than that, the rest should be OK if you get back to it soon enough. As a banana ripens, the skin gets thinner. I've never really experimented on what ripens a banana quickly because I am always fighting to keep my bananas from going bad. Maybe there is something in the air at my house because other people's bananas don't seem to go bad nearly as quick. I could be wrong though, and hope I am, because I really try to nurture those babies. You really have to watch it with the banana as the skin gets thinner and thinner. Bananas tend to bruise very easily and one tiny bruise can really lead to a mess inside. Yeah, I know I'm emotionally unstable sometimes. ;-) The inside can usually be salvaged, given a careful peeling and working around the damaged parts, but the banana is usually never the same again. This isn't a bad thing though, the banana learns from everything it runs into, and everything that runs into it. At the store you will see bananas clustered together in families and this is the way they like to be for the most part, they stick together with their own kind. Sometimes you will find a lone banana, away from it's family, trying to make it in the world alone. Yup, as much as I love those pears and apples and strawberries and mangoes, sometimes I just really want to be with my bunch. This banana needs the most attention from the other fruits and it's really cool about accepting help from them. Bring it on! It really makes the other fruits happy to hang out with the banana since the banana brings such a unique texture into the mix. Often times the other fruit will try to protect the banana from getting bruised or going black, but there is one thing the other fruit can't protect it from: the monkeys! Monkeys are so mean to bananas. They think they have the right to just grab a banana with both fists, break it in half, and then munch away at the remains. How rude! We're sorry, dear banana, that we can't just chase those monkeys away, but we rarely see them coming.

And even when we go black, you can still make something good out of us! Hale the banana. :-)
So true, my sweet banana, who doesn't like a little banana bread... maybe with some chocolate chips?!