Ways to Say "I'm Sorry"

There will come a time when you have either intentionally or unintentionally hurt a person you care about. If you don't want to lose your relationship with that person, you will have to say you are sorry for whatever it is you've done. Doing so can be far more difficult than it sounds. You may be hesitant to offer the apology and the recipient may not want to speak with you. Here are some ways to say, "I'm sorry."

Instructions

1. Call the person you offended and express regret for what you've done. This is a perfectly acceptable way to say "I'm sorry" for a minor offense, such as missing a phone call or having to bail on plans at the last minute.

2. Say "I'm sorry" for missing an event by planning a similar, "make-up" event. For example, if you forgot about a dinner date with your spouse, you can plan a surprise dinner on a night when the two of you are free. This will make up for your mistake and show your spouse that you regret being forgetful.

3. Send an appropriate greeting card. There are plenty of belated birthday cards to be found at your local grocery store which can make up for forgetting the birthday of a relative or friend. You can also consider sending an e-card that expresses your regret.

4. Purchase a gift for the person you have wronged. This is an especially good idea if the person you hurt was your spouse. For your wife, you can buy candies or flowers or take her out to her favorite restaurant. If you're dealing with your husband, you could cook his favorite meal or take him out to a sporting event or concert.

5. Write a letter to the person instead of offering a verbal "I'm sorry." This is useful when you've done something that was "really wrong." A letter can be a great way to ensure that you get all of your feelings out without being yelled at or interrupted by the person receiving your apology. A person who isn't good at expressing emotions verbally will find writing a letter to be much easier than actually saying the apology out loud.

Tips & Warnings

• Always say "I'm sorry" when doing any of these things. Doing something for the person you hurt is nice, but it's not a real apology until you admit you were wrong and express regret for whatever it was you did.