The couple knows Bob better than me, so Bob handled the dinner invitations and arrangements. Like the majority of people who dine with us/me, “Dee” has a restricted diet. “Just chicken and broccoli will do it,” she told him.
I was planning to go with that, but decided to just ask. I asked her for more detail about what she could eat. She was reluctant to tell me because she didn’t want to impose her limits on the rest of us. I kept going. I ran off a list of foods, asking if she could tolerate them. I personally do understand the reluctance to ask others to accommodate dietary quirks. On the other hand, I consider it a fun challenge to prepare meals that food sensitive guests can actually eat.
Five minutes later I was armed with a food list that I could work a bit of alchemy with. I did need to call her back with a question about one food item I hadn’t thought to ask about in the initial “interview.”
The main course was the company, of course. The conversation was delightful. It also gave me pleasure to see my guest embrace a varied menu without fear of it costing her health and well-being. I was able to do that, because instead of assuming, I remembered to just ask.
