Comments on: Apologize to your mother https://sorrywatch.com/apologize-to-your-mother/ Analyzing apologies in the news, media, history and literature. We condemn the bad and exalt the good. Fri, 07 Aug 2020 22:25:56 +0000 hourly 1 By: Karen Freeman https://sorrywatch.com/apologize-to-your-mother/#comment-189198 Wed, 04 Nov 2015 21:02:00 +0000 https://sorrywatch.com/?p=4030#comment-189198 Interestingly, my older sister (and beloved only child for 4.5 years until I came along and ruined everything) recalls my mother insisting on her apologizing and being terribly frustrated when she (sister) wouldn’t. Not sure what the frustration lead to. But, I don’t remember that. I, she told had no conscience. I don’t think that worked any better. But, you know, making it up as you go along!

]]> By: tanita https://sorrywatch.com/apologize-to-your-mother/#comment-189188 Wed, 04 Nov 2015 16:35:57 +0000 https://sorrywatch.com/?p=4030#comment-189188 Heh.
Yeah, my Mom installed the buttons, too. And she pushed them until they almost don’t work anymore. I definitely feel the pain of the people forced to apologize; I think “you know what you did” is a phrase among the most damning in the world. Especially a frightened – and basically amoral, non-paying-attention child – has NO CLUE. I remember being SPANKED in the first grade by my teacher (Oh, late Seventies Christian schools) and then had to hug her and say I forgave her or something. It’s bizarre and weirdly martyring to be forced to kiss the hand that struck you (it’s NOT turning the other cheek, either).

All this entire discussion makes me is somewhat grateful that I don’t have kids; I don’t think I could negotiate this for someone else when it seems my natural state is to be an immature ball of cynical, non-believing-you-really-mean-it resentment. ☺

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