Dear Manor: During the pandemic, both of my neighbors contracted COVID-19 and I brought them food for three days. I asked if there were any dietary restrictions or foods that they didn’t care about.
Currently, my husband and I are both sick, and friends and neighbors are dropping off food that I can’t eat, either due to food allergies or irritable bowel syndrome (which I don’t want to reveal). I now have a pot of soup that I can’t eat because no one asked about our needs or preferences, but when I’m sick I have to eat.
Is there a polite way to say, “By the way, what kind of soup are you planning on bringing?” A friend of mine mentioned that she was making cabbage soup, and I said, “Oh, cabbage and I just don’t get along.” She happily changed the menu even though I was not feeling well.
Others would not have been so kind, especially the one who brought me a soup with all kinds of vegetables that I couldn’t eat. She simply said, “I’ll bring you some soup,” which could be anything from clam chowder to chili. Manners, what should I do?
Gentle Reader: The last thing you want to do is say, “Oh, that’s very kind of you, but unfortunately I have quite a few dietary restrictions and I don’t want to bother you.”
If you have any questions, please send us an email through Manor’s website. www.missmanners.com; to her email, [email protected]; or by mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
