Apologies

I was instructed: Don’t apologize, empathize.

Now, I don’t think I’m dense. I fully understand what it is to empathize. However, when an apology is warranted…

I remember, a few years back, when I felt something inside of me just break… Tears that I had helps inside for so long, hurts that I had tried to repress, all came spilling out and over. Someone, who really didn’t know me that well, said words to me that I won’t soon forget. She said: For all of the hurt you endured, there’s an ‘I’m sorry.’

She repeated those words over and over.

I think I cried all of my strength out that day in church. At that point, I hadn’t cried in so long…

Repressed hurts.

I made a vow, at that point, to not repress my hurts, with or without an apology. I made a vow to forgive, with or without an apology. I made a vow to apologize. Sometimes that’s all we need to hear.

I feel like we live in this world where people no longer apologize. Not to those we wrong, not even to God… And, allow me to say, this is wrong!

Apologizing isn’t a weakness. It’s a strength.

*Original image courtesy of Yours Truly ☀️🌺🤍