Sorry? What Makes a Good Apology
How to get an apology right
I heaved myself off the sofa with a loud sigh.
My dad told me to add water to the flour and suet my mum had left in a bowl to make dumplings that we would add to the stew simmering on the stove.
My friend Debbie and I had been watching TV, and I didn’t want to miss anything, but my dad wasn’t to be argued with.
I sloshed water into the bowl and mixed. The dough looked sticky, and I wasn’t sure if I should add more water or if I’d already added too much, so I took the bowl into the living room to show to my dad.
But as I walked towards him, I tripped on a toy the dog had left on the floor and threw the dough over my dad.
He jumped up, bellowing and calling me every iteration of stupid. I could see Debbie’s hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh out loud at the sight of my dad with bits of dumpling mixture dripping off his face.
At that moment, sorry didn’t seem to be enough.
How Not to Apologise
Joanne told me how the mug shattered against the wall, leaving a coffee stain in the shape of Australia.
She was sorry, she told me, that she overreacted, but then her reaction was about saying sorry.
