Day 1852: Please pardon us

Please pardon me for starting yet another blog post with a sign I saw at a hospital.

Please pardon me for wondering why people who are doing good (like building for the future of patient care)   ask for pardon while other people don’t apologize for anything.

“Please pardon us, ” say lots of women every day, including Aidy Bryant in this recent Saturday Night Live segment:

Please pardon us here at The Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally for

• strongly suggesting you watch that video and
• sharing photos without any explanation.

 

Please pardon us for not putting that “Time Flies” clock back on the wall after it fell down last week.

Please pardon me for requesting comments and for thanking Tufts Medical Center,  The New Yorker, George Booth, EMDR,  Aidy Bryant, brave voices everywhere, and YOU.

Day 1521: No need to apologize

Whenever somebody apologizes in group therapy, I automatically say “No need to apologize.”

I don’t apologize for that response, because my experience is that people apologize too much, especially when they’re feeling anxious or self-conscious. And in my therapy groups, I observe people learning to break the habit of apologizing for  being themselves and for being human. No need to apologize for that kind of progress.

But what if there IS a need for somebody to apologize?  Should I still say, “No need to apologize?”

No need to apologize for my asking more questions about the need to apologize:

1. When is there a need to apologize?
2. How do you apologize?
3. How do you respond to apologies?
4. Is there a need to apologize for taking only one photo all day yesterday?

 

No need to apologize for sharing the song “Apologize” by OneRepublic.

No need to apologize if you have some thoughts and feelings about the need to apologize. No need to apologize if you leave or if you don’t leave a comment.

There IS a need to apologize if I don’t express my gratitude to all who helped me create today’s post and to you — of course! — for being here, now.