by Akua Hinds

Created on: May 09, 2010

An apology is an important way to right a wrong that you’ve committed against someone.  An apology means more than just saying the words “I’m sorry,” it also means feeling and showing genuine contrition for your actions.  Making apologies does not come easily for many people due to their feelings of pride or not wanting to admit they were wrong.  Some people feel that admitting you were wrong is a sign of showing weakness, but that is not necessarily true.  Apologizing to someone is a sign that you are strong enough to acknowledge what all human beings don’t like to admit about ourselves, and that is that we are not perfect beings.  However, everyone makes mistakes and if we refuse to acknowledge and learn from our mistakes then we are missing the point of life. 

One of our main points of life is to grow and flourish, not stagnate and die.  Injured feelings can cause people to become very angry with the person who did them an injustice.  Those feelings of anger can overtake a person’s soul and taint their view of the world.  Instead of seeing the world as a place full of possibilities, they may see the world as an unfair place where heartache is in abundance and heartwarming moments are few.  If issues between two people in conflict go unresolved and no apology is uttered or remorse shown, then bad seeds are being sown.  Every human being is deserving of respect and ALL of our feelings deserve to be respected and protected.  If apologies are not expressed, then that can lead to unforgiveness.  Unforgiveness can make a person feel bitter, angry, and desperate for revenge.  Revenge can be costly, resulting in ongoing feuds, dramas, untruths and chaos that can destroy people’s lives and negatively affect future generations. 

Making an apology is the first step towards righting a wrong and preventing others from stewing with hateful emotions.  But, just as expressing an apology is important, accepting an apology is important too.  Although you may feel tempted not to accept an apology out of spite, aim to be the bigger and better person and accept the apology that is directed your way.  Accepting an apology sets you and the other person free from the anger, disappointment and heartache that you felt over the situation.  Accepting an apology doesn’t mean that you agree with how the other person treated you and it doesn’t make you weak, it simply means that you are acknowledging that you are human and realize that everyone makes mistakes and we all grow and learn from our mistakes.  Apologizing and accepting an apology makes you strong and opens doors of hope for all future relationships. 

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