Pause for Thought – ‘Sorry is the hardest word’

Most Brits say ‘sorry’ around 8 times per day, apparently: far more than other cultures! AND one in 8 apologise up to 20 times a day!

I do it myself, when I bump into someone – even if THEY bumped into ME! When I say this in America they think it’s so funny. It’s just meaningless politeness, if you think about it, for the origins of the word ‘sorry’ derive from the Old English ‘sarig’ meaning ‘distressed, grieved or full of sorrow’.

In his book, ‘Sorry!: The English and their Manners’, Henry Hitchings wrote, ‘The readiness of the English to apologise for something they haven’t done is remarkable, and it is matched by an unwillingness to apologise for what they HAVE done.’

‘Sorry’ CAN be the easiest word, and still the hardest word too. I’m challenged to say it less, yet when I do say it, to mean it more. The ‘S’ word might not heal the person I’ve hurt intentionally, or unintentionally, but being truly sorry can open a way to healing, forgiveness, and new beginnings.

And, I believe, the same is true when I say ‘Sorry Father’ to God too!

Listen to the full Pause for Thought via this link, (click here)