Have you ever said something and later regretted it, something you wish you could take back? Odette Rusaro never knew her parents; they died when she was just a toddler. Her grandmother raised her, and whenever other children talked about their parents, she felt like it was unfair! Even though her granny was a nice person and did everything to make her life better, she asked herself what wrong, she did to God to take away her parents.One day, her granny denied her permission to go and visit her friend who lived in the same neighbourhood. It was getting late and she needed her to help with some house chores. Odette looked at her and said, “You are mean, if my parents were here, they would allow me to do what I want.” Her grandmother looked at her disbelievingly! She was visibly hurt.The moment the words left her mouth, she immediately regretted it! She knew she was wrong, she didn’t mean to say those hurtful words to her grandmother. She did not know what to do.All the time, several young people find themselves in similar situations. Well, we all make mistakes, but we learn from them. As you get older it is important that you realize that your parents or guardians are people with feelings too.Therefore, when you say something then end up feeling sad and you wish to correct things again, the only way to reconcile is to say ’sorry’. Accepting your fault is very important in life and it certainly takes a lot of courage to accept your mistakes and apologise for them. Although forgiveness does not change the past, it does clear the future.Just don’t fake your feelings. You do not have to say sorry just for the sake of it. Only say sorry when you genuinely feel sorry. An insincere apology is often evident in body language, so make sure to apologize when you are truly apologetic. If you find yourself yelling, chewing gum, rolling your eyes or walking away during an apology; it’s highly likely you don’t mean it. Appropriate facial expressions and tone of voice come naturally when you are sincere. In addition, when you are forgiven, try not to repeat the same mistake.
