The power of sorry – a lesson from Hadia The little “sorry” that hea...
The little “sorry” that heals relationships
Table of contents
The morning incident
Yesterday morning while getting ready for office I was brushing my teeth. Without realizing my 3‑year‑old daughter standing right behind me I moved a little backwards resulting my body hit her a little. Because my toothbrush was in my mouth I couldn’t say sorry to her.
As Hadia has recently learnt about using “Thank‑you” and “Sorry” for different situations from her school teacher, she was expecting me to say sorry without understanding the fact that while brushing her father can’t do so. She waited for me for a little while to apologize — which I did not. So her little heart broke and she started crying.
I immediately finished my brushing and kissed her and said sorry to her. Very soon she became normal and forgot what has happened a while ago and we had a great breakfast 😊
Why we forget to say sorry
Later I pondered that with friends, family and colleagues we often forget to say sorry for our mistakes which results in stiffen relationship causing brawls or complete break‑up. While our loved ones give us time and expect our apologetic response, we forget to say sorry or sometimes even ignore the matter altogether considering it a minor one; whereas, it may be critically important for someone.
💡 A sincere apology is not a sign of weakness — it is a bridge that repairs trust. The smallest words often carry the heaviest meaning.
Emotional intelligence & empathy
Hence it is important for us to pay attention to this aspect and consider improving our Emotional Intelligence Skills (managing ours' as well as others' emotions), enhance Empathic Skills and endeavour to develop trust with our loved ones for healthy relationships.
- Self‑awareness: Recognise when you have hurt someone, even unintentionally.
- Active listening: Give the other person space to express their feelings.
- Timely apology: A genuine “sorry” said soon can prevent emotional distance.
- Empathy in action: Put yourself in their shoes — especially with children and those who look up to you.
Conclusion
That little moment with Hadia reminded me that apologies are not about being wrong — they are about valuing the other person’s feelings. Whether at home or at work, a sincere “sorry” can dissolve tension and deepen connection.
Let’s not wait until a relationship cracks. Let’s apologise when we need to, forgive when we can, and always choose kindness — because that is how we build a world where love and understanding thrive.
