Sometimes it takes years to build a strong friendship, but a small argument is enough to put a strain on it. If you have done something that has hurt your friend, writing a letter to him/her is the best way of apologizing. This article will not only provide samples of apology letters, but also give you guidance for drafting such a letter.
True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it be lost. – Charles Caleb Colton
Importance of apology
Just like in any other relationship, arguments and fights are also a part of friendship. You will hardly find friends who have never fought with one another. Though most of the time, these fights trigger from silly arguments, sometimes friends may go overboard and in the process, hurt each other’s feelings. Whatever be the reason, if a person feels that he is responsible for creating the differences, it is important that he apologizes to his friend.
Importance of writing an apology letter
Though you can use the email, text messages or chat for expressing your apology, the good old way of saying sorry to your friend through a letter will surely have a favorable impact on him. This will make your friend realize that your efforts of saying sorry are genuine and you really care for him.
Points to Remember
Timing:
Write the letter at the appropriate time. It is not advisable to delay it for too long.
Words:
While compiling the letter, do not think about being eloquent, what matters the most is that you genuinely feel sorry.
Sequence:
Always begin by apologizing and saying sorry for your offense. Then explain to him your side of the story. In the third and last paragraph, talk about what his friendship means to you and make a promise of not repeating the mistake.
Delivery:
You can either post it or deliver the letter personally or through someone else. You can also keep it at a location where your friend will be able to find it easily.
What to Avoid
Blame Game:
Some people may try to point out the friend’s mistake while writing the letter. Avoid this completely, as it can make matters worse.
Superficial Sorry:
One thing that you have to remember is that when you are saying sorry, you should really mean it from the bottom of your heart. If you apologize without really accepting your mistake, with an intention to just getting back your friend, this will affect your friendship later.
Being Disrespectful:
Always remember, your feelings should be genuine, and you should not be disrespectful towards others.
Long Letter:
The letter has to be brief and should only talk about the subject that has led to your apology.
Impatience:
Keep patience and do not expect immediate results. In some cases, it may take time for the person to forgive and forget.
Letter Samples
Here are some letter samples that you can refer to, while writing a letter to repair a broken friendship.
Apology for Fighting
Dear Margaret,
I am really sorry for the way I behaved with you at Jen’s birthday party. I was in a really bad mood because of the project that I am doing at college and also because of the argument I had with my boyfriend, before coming to the party. However, this is no excuse for the things I said to you that day.
The reason I have decided to write this letter is that, I understand that I was a total fool to shout at you. I want you to know that your friendship means a lot to me and I do not want to lose you because of my stupid behavior.
After whatever I said to you that day, I know, it will be difficult for you to forgive me. But, please give me another chance and I promise this will never happen again. You are a very close friend of mine. You were with me through thick and thin and I don’t want to lose you, ever.
Waiting for your reply.
Love,
Samantha
Apology for Losing Friend’s Science Journal
Dear John,
I want to express my sincere apologies as my carelessness was responsible for your low grades in the exam. I feel really bad for losing your science journal right before the submission. I am sorry that you had to spend all your time re-doing it instead of studying for the exam.
Trust me, I have searched for your book in my house, locker, and school. However, I was unable to find it. Whenever I think about how it has affected you, I feel immensely guilty.
I am really sorry for all the trouble you had to go through because of me. I sincerely hope it won’t affect our friendship in any way. If there is anything that I can do to help you, please do tell me. I request you to forget all this and be friends again. I promise you that I will be more careful in future and will not repeat such a mistake.
Your buddy,
Sean
Apology for Possessiveness
Dear Alison,
I have been thinking for the past few days about what happened last Saturday. I want you to understand that I am really apologetic about all the things I said about you. It is just that I have always stood by you whenever you wanted me and expected you to take my side when I had an argument with Christine.
On contemplation, I felt that I had conveniently forgotten that as an individual you are entitled to your own opinion. I realized that I value our friendship more than anything else, and it was important for me to communicate this to you. I sincerely hope that this letter will make you let go of all the misunderstandings that arose between us, and we will be friends just like earlier.
I know I was wrong in asking you to take sides. I just hope we can put all this behind us, as a bad experience and move on. I don’t want this small dispute to ruin our strong friendship. Hope you will forgive me, I am waiting to hear from you.
Love,
Sam
Apology for Lies/Hiding Information
Dear Jenny,
I am sorry for all the lies I told you. I know they have hurt you a lot. It’s just that I had no choice, but to hold back certain information from you.
I wanted to share the news of my college admission with you, however, I was not sure whether to continue working or get further education. I wanted to be certain about the choice I had to make, before I told anyone about it.
I really wanted to tell you this information, but before I could explain, you heard it from my sister. I am really sorry, I did not mean to hurt your feelings. I hope you will forgive me for my mistakes and join me for a cup of coffee.
Love,
Patty
Apology for Not Attending Friend’s Wedding
Dear Katy,
First of all, heartiest congratulations to you and Alec for your marriage. I am really sorry that I was unable to attend the wedding as all the flights were booked due to the holiday season.
I know you must be really upset about this, but I tried my best to attend your wedding. You know how much I regret not being there for you on one of the most important and special days of your life. I am sure you must have looked very beautiful in your wedding dress.
I really regret not booking the tickets in advance as I completely forgot that it will be a busy period for the airlines. It’s my fault and I want to apologize to you for the same. The next time I am in LA, we should catch up. I want to hear about all the details of the wedding. Hope you have forgiven your forgetful friend.
Love,
Grace
You may also add a few apology quotes to show how much you care about your friend’s forgiveness. Many times, people find it difficult to apologize, due to ego issues. However, one must understand that there is nothing shameful in saying sorry. It will only help you in developing a better and stronger relationship with your friend. Also, when you say sorry and promise of not repeating the same mistake, see to it that you keep your words to avoid such circumstances again.
