Mark My Words

The hardest words to say…
For some people it comes easy. For others, not so much. Some people say it way too easily while others refuse.
There are people who look at it as a sign of weakness while others just feel there is no need for it. And yet, there are even those who are afraid to say it for whatever the reason.
I’m sorry.
Those are, for many, two of the hardest words for someone to say, and for the life of me, I can’t figure out why. Well, scratch that, I can figure it out, but it still doesn’t take away from the fact that we all need to do it from time to time, but more often than not, we struggle with it..
“I never meant to cause you any sorrow. I never meant to cause you any pain.”, Purple Rain, Prince and the Revolution.
I will admit, there have been times in my life….many times, that is, where I have found myself in the position of needing to apologize for something I did or said. It happens. We are all human and we all make mistakes. Yes, it is true. We ALL make mistakes, which is why saying that you are sorry should not be such a problem.
It isn’t always easy, that is true. But deep down in your heart of hearts, you know that by apologizing, you are doing the right thing. Even when it doesn’t feel like it. Even when you feel you weren’t wrong. Even when you don’t want to admit you were wrong. Even when…well, you get the point.
Admitting you were wrong, on whatever level, is never simple. People are quick to say “I admit when I am wrong or make a mistake”, but then they refuse to own up to it when it reality rears its ugly head.
Does it change things if someone were to use poor judgement or were sort of, forced into doing something they didn’t necessarily agree with, but did it anyway to appease others? Oh, and what if those actions ended up hurting someone in the process. .
“Everything in my fault. I take the blame”, All Apologies, Nirvana.
What is worse than having to say I am sorry? Waiting for someone to apologize.
It can be a frustrating and heartbreaking time filled with self-doubt, insecurity and yes, even anger. If you are a strong-willed individual, you can probably let it roll off your back or even humble yourself and let an apology slide in the name of peace. But if you were hurt in such a way that it affected your reputation, career or even your livelihood, and it never should have happened in the first place, it might not be as simple as forgiving and forgetting.
“Winter is here and it’s going on two years swallow my pride, And things were looking very grim but they’re looking good again,Swallow my pride”, Swallow My Pride, Ramones Life is short and we all hate the thought of living with regrets. If you are sitting on an apology because you don’t feel you really need to give one, but at the same time, a life has been affected, feelings are hurt or whatever the reason, maybe reconsider your reasoning.
In the end, you will feel better about it.
If you are waiting for an apology because someone hurt you, dig deep and do what you feel is best. It may be too hard to “move on” when the person who caused the pain doesn’t feel you are worthy enough of a friend or family member to apologize too or even realize that you were terribly hurt by their actions. To be honest, maybe they just don’t see it, and that in itself, is sad. It doesn’t make you less of a person to just let it go and move on, but the bruised feelings will remain, and that trust is broken.
“Is it too late now to say sorry? Yeah I know that I let you down, Is it too late to say I’m sorry now?”, Sorry, Justin Bieber (I never expected to quote “The Biebs” in an article).
To answer the question, no, it is never too late to say sorry. Just say it.
Just say it.

Submitted by Mark McGlothlen