The Art Of The Apology

I believe a sincere apology is a lost art. If you are in a relationship, a sincere, heartfelt apology can be the difference between whether you stay in the relationship or not. Of course, that also depends on the circumstances behind the apology. If it is between friends, platonic or lifelong friends or whatever, the sincere apology just might save the friendship. An apology is not even about second chances. It is about doing what is right and an effort to say "I know I did something wrong that offended you in some way and I'm sorry." Sometimes an apolgy will not help but if it is sincere and it comes from the heart, you have done what you can do. It is up to the other party as to whether they accept it or not. Here is a few examples of the art of the apology. A blogger friend of mine had made what I thought was a personal attack on me not long ago. Although she did not mention me by name, I knew her blog was about me. I sent her a text message telling her what I thought. At that point and time, I had decided I was done with her. She issued me a sincere apology via e-mail a few days later and I accepted it. I told her an apology wasn't necessary and they never are but it was a sincere attempt on her part as a friend to right what I thought was a wrong and I really appreciated it. That was the art of a sincere apology and it made me feel good about a potentially friendship damaging situation. Another female friend of mine a couple of years ago did something I thought she should apologize for and she hasn't to this day. I have always believed the adage "perception is reality" and I believe she should/needs to apologize and she thinks she did nothing wrong. To this day, our friendship is damaged almost beyond repair. You can't act like everything is alright and expect everything to be alright. Friendships and relationships take some work on the part of both parties.