Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023
Today’s Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:
An ounce of apology is worth a pound of loneliness.
— Joseph Joubert
The healing that comes when we make amends happens in two places. First of all, it mends the split between what we want to be and the mistake we have made. In that way, we take responsibility for our actions and reaffirm our standards for ourselves. It’s a way of respecting ourselves by saying, “I believe in the standard that I didn’t keep, and I will try harder next time.”
The second place that healing may happen is between ourselves and the person we have harmed. If it’s an old mistake, with apology long overdue, the relationship may take on renewed meaning after an apology. It opens the possibility for a discussion about the friendship and its importance to each person. In other situations, an apology doesn’t heal the connection and perhaps the other person isn’t willing to accept it. In such a situation, we still take comfort in knowing that we have restored the split within ourselves and that we can let go of the past.
Today, I will be sincere and quick with my apologies.
Hazelden Foundation
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