"I don't know what else to say." She said. The confusion in her aging gray eyes surrendered. "I'm sorry."
"That's all I ever wanted to hear...all I ever wanted from you." She responded as she brushed away her tears and the final traces of mascara from her eyes. Her fingers, once clenched, began to relax. Emotions that had once held her captive began to loosen their grip. And she was another step closer to becoming the woman she was meant to be, empowered by a five letter word spoken in love.
I think Elton John made a valid observation of human nature in his song hit song entitled: "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word."
I've made an observation as I've listened to the hearts of survivors of childhood sexual abuse. The word sorry, spoken by those who were in a position to protect the victim (mother, father, older sibling, grandparent, etc...), seems to be a healing word, even if the one in position to protect had no idea the abuse had occurred until years later in the survivor's life. I'm sorry, offered in complete sincerity, can say more than any excuse given.
I'm sorry says: I regret that I wasn't there to protect you. You deserved to be protected. I mourn with you. What happened was wrong. I believe you.
We may not always be there for the ones we love when they need us. In fact, we won't. We can't; it's not humanly possible. But we can sit with them, look into their eyes with tears in our own, and help them take another step toward healing. Sorry doesn't have to be the hardest word.
"That's all I ever wanted to hear...all I ever wanted from you." She responded as she brushed away her tears and the final traces of mascara from her eyes. Her fingers, once clenched, began to relax. Emotions that had once held her captive began to loosen their grip. And she was another step closer to becoming the woman she was meant to be, empowered by a five letter word spoken in love.
I think Elton John made a valid observation of human nature in his song hit song entitled: "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word."
I've made an observation as I've listened to the hearts of survivors of childhood sexual abuse. The word sorry, spoken by those who were in a position to protect the victim (mother, father, older sibling, grandparent, etc...), seems to be a healing word, even if the one in position to protect had no idea the abuse had occurred until years later in the survivor's life. I'm sorry, offered in complete sincerity, can say more than any excuse given.
I'm sorry says: I regret that I wasn't there to protect you. You deserved to be protected. I mourn with you. What happened was wrong. I believe you.
We may not always be there for the ones we love when they need us. In fact, we won't. We can't; it's not humanly possible. But we can sit with them, look into their eyes with tears in our own, and help them take another step toward healing. Sorry doesn't have to be the hardest word.
So true!
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