The Healing Words

"I am sorry."

Author

Chris Son
August 19, 2023

Total Read Time = 2 Min.

It was almost unbelievable.

For months, I had a certain conflict with a close friend of mine.

I’m not proud of how I dealt with it. Without giving a reason, I completely blocked communication with him and vowed to never see him again.

It felt right to my ego to cut him out completely. My mind was convinced I made the right decision.

But my heart felt otherwise. Something deep down felt off. The anxiety swelled…

And I wrote him a letter.

For the first time in my young, dumb life, I asked for forgiveness from the person who clearly wronged me. In my letter, I told him how I really felt about him—how he was wrong in what he did, and how I was wrong in what I did after.

“I am sorry,” I said.

And he forgave me.

“I want to continue being your friend,” he said.

And the rest is history.

The power of asking for forgiveness

This Whole Letter is not a piece on why we should become “weak” or lower ourselves. It’s a call for us to be better—to ask those we have hurt for forgiveness.

Yes, we should forgive those who hurt us. There is a healing power in saying “I forgive you”—both for the other person and yourself. For family especially, in my opinion, we should always forgive and remember them.

But let’s not forget about ourselves.

It is often the case that those who have hurt us have actually been hurt by…well, us!

We may not know that our own words and actions can just as well be toxic to others. Regardless of whether we know it or not, all of us have the capacity and duty to admit fault when it is due.

When you ask for forgiveness…

  1. You tell the other you recognize your mistakes

  2. You allow the other person to heal from their pain

  3. You allow yourself to heal and learn from your mistakes

  4. Your character strengthens

  5. Your relationship mends

…all at the same time.

Now THAT’S real power!

“I am sorry.”

There is beauty, strength, and humility in these healing words.

And please, don’t forget to forgive yourself.

You are human. You make mistakes. And that’s okay.

Until then, have a blessed day!

—Chris Son