sending the food back

The family of a colleague of mine enjoys dining out, but an elderly family member had a habit of sending her food back to the kitchen. The family would become concerned–worried that she was upset. However, my colleague suggested to them that perhaps she enjoyed sending the food back. Perhaps this was when she was most happy–after all, she was getting special attention during the process. Once the family came to realize this, they began to view her complaints in a new light. They could relax in the knowledge that she was doing what she enjoyed. No longer did it ruin the meal.