"Learning to say 'I was wrong' is a major step toward becoming a responsible and successful adult."

A thought by Gary Chapman, from his book, When Sorry Isn't Enough (p. 35). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

Gary says, "Blogger Reese Andrews shared a moving story:

    My youngest son, Asher, is ten years old. He has epilepsy and cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. Yesterday, as my husband was helping load Asher and his wheelchair onto his school bus, a young woman drove her car slowly past the stopped bus. She knew what she was doing. She caught my husband’s eye as she approached the end of the bus and he watched her drive through the intersection and away.

    I wish I could tell you this was an unusual occurrence, but unfortunately it happens at least once a month. Someone is too busy, in too much of a hurry to stop while a bus is loading or unloading kids. What happened next, however, was totally out of the norm.

    About an hour later we heard a knock at the front door. It was the woman who had driven past the bus. She was shaking.

    'I am so sorry for what I did. It was so disrespectful to your son and your family.'

    We were stunned. 

    'I was in a hurry, I was running late, I knew I should have stopped—that’s why I went so slowly—but all I was thinking about was where I needed to be. I am so sorry.'

    Yes, she had absolutely done something wrong. She had, in fact, broken the law. But I have never encountered someone with such pain and remorse. I couldn’t believe she had the sheer guts to come to our door to apologize, not knowing the reaction she might get from us … What really hit me was that she was taking full responsibility for her actions. How often does that happen?

    … She was on our doorstep, physically shaking with anguish at what she had done. She needed to hear she was forgiven. 

    'Thank you so much. I really appreciate that,' my husband told her. 

    She smiled, weakly but gratefully, apologized again, and left.

    I think all of us came away from that experience better for it and with a deep appreciation for the power of being human."

Gary then said, "In confessing her wrongdoing, the woman on the doorstep communicated a heartfelt apology. Many people need to hear the very words 'I was wrong. I accept responsibility' as part of the reconciliation process. Understanding this reality can make all the difference in the world when you sincerely wish to apologize for your behavior."

And that is so true, isn't it? Yes, yes! #continuethought