Ways to Say “I’m Sorry”
Everyone has to say it sometime.
The letter
The letter on the other hand typically falls on the opposite end of the spectrum. Writing is so cathartic that apologers tend to run the danger of being too verbose. Feelings are explained and emphasized to such an extent that apologies may feel overwhelmed by all that is on page. Letter apologies may, if apologers are not careful, be viewed by apologies as a long-winded justification of events.
The gesture
From personal experience and also stereotypes gleaned from hours of romantic comedies, it is my personal feeling that flowers are best left for men to buy their ladies. Meals on the other hand may be served by either gender with a good chance of success. The key is to choose quality over quantity and to always note personal preference. A small bouquet of calla lilies for example, is preferable to a larger bouquet of daisies, though neither is recommended if what she likes are red roses. And under no circumstances (that’s zero) should the flowers be from the local supermarket kitty corner to her apartment! This must be emphasized in unequivocal terms: the further away and the fancier the flower store the more points you will score!
Now ladies, likewise, when attempting to appease the male ego, choose quality over quantity and keep in mind his personal preferences. More often than not, steak of a superior cut with potatoes is a better choice than a three course meal centered on an asparagus theme; unless of course, you are dating a vegetarian. In which case, this writer recommends cous cous as a choice side dish. It is interesting to note that contrary to the distance and effort rule of pleasing females, it is reversed for males. To clarify, the male gender prefers to travel the least amount of distance possible for their meals and typically, the less effort it takes to reach their destination, the better.
The grand gesture
The ultimate grand gesture are those apologies that have gone so over the top that both apologer and apologee gets carried away by the moment. The apology is almost too effective if you will. I refer of course to the tearful apology capped by a marriage proposal. The scene plays out like this: you’ve cheated, you’re genuinely sorry, you pour your heart out and astonishingly is forgiven, your heart overflows, and out of the blue THE question is popped to your surprise and his or hers too! This writer would suggest that grand gestures are best left for grand Hollywood stars and starlets who are grand enough to afford grand lawyers to help them out of their grand messages!
There is no doubt that apologizing is an art and hopefully with these tips in mind, it will be an easier skill to master. However, a better art to practice may be that of avoiding situations in which an apology is needed in the first place. Being in love may mean having to say you’re sorry, but clearly the less often you need to say it, the better!
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