Oh, my.......

I live with the adage that when we pass over to the other side the only thing about our earthly lives that will really matter is how we treated people. So with that said, you would think I would try really hard to be nice to people. Since I think how we treat people is so important our entire eternity depends on it, then wouldn't I be up at night thinking of ways to be kind? Be generous? I should be thinking constantly about everything from other's burdens to any mayhem they may be experiencing. I should have a Teflon suit at the ready so that I could lift those burdens and squash that mayhem.

But no.....I have added to someones burden. I have hurt someones feelings. And I feel really bad.
The deal is how do we fix it when we hurt someone? Is it even possible? Can you take words back that were thoughtless? Nope......I am afraid when words are out there they are out there. So what is the answer? We say, "I'm sorry. I was wrong....it won't happen again." And mean it, there is no other answer.
How many times in my life a simple, "I'm sorry" would have been the perfect thing to say. But because I was embarrassed or afraid I missed the chance. I passed up an opportunity to just say "I'm sorry, I'm was wrong and it won't happen again." A chance to right a wrong and ease a pain.
We are humans living in a fallen world, we are susceptible to aches and pains, bad hearing, assumptions, fast thoughtless actions, and really cranky moods. We are going to mess up, yell at our loved ones, and feel terrible. That is just the way life is...but if saying "I'm sorry" is so important, and it is, then forgiving someone is just as great a gift. That is what I am hoping for. But either way I will do better.