Article published: 24/08/2012 in Rajkot Plus, The Times of India
There’s this suggestion floating around everywhere that there should not be any useof words ‘sorry’ or ‘thanks’ in friendship or relationship. But I personally believe that these are the shortest, sweetest and the most effective tools to express two heartily experienced feelings – guilt and gratitude.
The idea that these words are to be used only for people not significantly close is pointless. If they deserve the reception of your such deepest feelings, don’t your close ones? Saying these words by heart to your beloved will just make the bond stronger. So no matter how deep the relationship is or how close you are to someone, these words will work wonders to let your loved one know the status of your heart.
The person who is feeling guilty has a torrent of emotions welling up within him. All of that can be relieved by just one word. The true guilt reflected in this word will play vital role in receiving forgiveness. When the person is really grateful for what someone has done, there will be loads of feelings jumping to exhibit the appreciation. Again, one word spoken with delight will suffice.
The truth is there are no alternatives. The thought that these words are not necessary in a good relationship may be philosophically correct. But when things are messed up horrendously, a ‘sorry’ from the depths of the heart is the wand that magically fixesthings. A ‘thanks’ will show how something made you so happy and how much it means to you.
However, these days, these two words are being used as weapons rather than tools. People fake their feelings and use them just as formality. They just parrot out ‘sorry’ and ‘thanks’ without meaning. That’s why people have stopped trusting these two wonderful words.
The true essence of these words is maintained only if they are spoken soulfully. You have to put your heart into it, yourself into it. ‘Sorry’ and ‘thanks’ are two precious words without a match. They’re not just words; they’re ‘expressions’ with incomparable genuineness.