“When you realise you've made a mistake, make amends immediately. It's easier to eat crow while it's still warm”. (Dan Heist)
'I am sorry'! In these three magic words we have one of the hardest, rarest and most profoundly human expressions in English language. It is hard to say 'I am sorry' because it implies many things: that I have hurt you, that I take responsibility for my behaviour, that I am truly repentant of what I have done, that I shall never repeat such behaviour again, that I hold your person, your presence, your friendship and your dignity in high esteem.
It is a rare expression as it requires a strong character and personality to face the person we have hurt, look straight into his eyes, and acknowledge our mistake. To do this we need to rise above our ego and personal pride. It is hard because it is in effect an acknowledgement that we have been wrong and the other person was right in this particular situation. Saying sorry as a matter of habit may be too common and easy, but being truly sorry and mean what we say is rare to find.
It is an expression that needs to be so much part of our human behaviour because as humans we all make mistakes, sometimes big, sometimes small. As social beings we hurt each other. We disagree on things and push those disagreements to quarrels and fights. We, sometimes knowingly, and other times impulsively, speak or do things that bring damage to the reputation, good standing and career prospects of others. But, having done this, we all do posses the capacity to rise above our human weakness in humility and acknowledge our mistakes. Being sorry for our actions may not undo the harm, but it can repair the damage to a great extent. It's human to err, but it's divine to be sorry for our mistakes, just as it is divine to forgive, because a repentant heart is a gift from God.
Here's a beautiful expressions of being sorry, found on a 'sorry card':
“Sorry for hurting you. What I did was foolish and impulsive. If I could take it all back, I would do this instant. I truly did not mean to hurt you in any way. Please forgive me. I am sorry.”
