Sorry can easily be defined as feeling bad for something. It may even mean feeling sorry for someone else’s misfortunes.

That may seem like an obvious definition, but think about it for a moment. What does the word “sorry” actually mean to you? Do you use this “sacred” word in general context, or only when you mean it? Is it a word that you just say because you do not know what else to say?

I think the problem is that people do not understand the meaning behind the word “sorry” anymore. It is something that I just automatically said.

To some people (like myself) I take the word "sorry" very seriously. I hate it when people say it just because. It’s like if you’re stuck in traffic and you text someone to let them know and they quickly respond with “I’m sorry. Just take your time.” Now, as sweet of a gesture that is, my response is always something along the line of, “Why are you sorry? Did you cause the traffic delay?”

To me, the word sorry should not just be thrown around in a sentence. It should be genuine. This is why it is so hard now a day to believe people when they say they are sorry and then ask for forgiveness. It is now expected that people prove to others that they are genuinely sorry. Our word means nothing anymore, because no one knows what is true. How can you take someone’s word when they just say things to make you feel better, not because they genuinely mean it?

I considered for years that maybe people say sorry because they feel bad. Then I asked myself, “Do people really feel bad, or do they just not know what to say?” Some people I know genuinely feel bad for things and try to right their wrongs by apologizing, however in today’s society, word means nothing. That is an unfortunate thing that our own words cannot be trusted.

I know that there are people who say sorry because they mean it. They are the ones who do not just throw the word out “just because”. They are the people who approach people and apologize. Further more they will explain why they are sorry and still try to fix it. They are the one’s that people believe when they say that they are sorry.

If I have learned anything in the past year, it is that those pity “sorry’s” will get you no where. They are just “brushed off” of our shoulders so to speak. It seems like the same people are always saying it and they do not even realize or care.

I encourage you today to think about what you say before you say it. Even though you are trying to express your “sympathy” it may end up hurting the person more than helping. Empty sorry’s can be just as bad as empty promises. They are not something to be thrown around.