I try to keep my personal life, well, personal. It doesn’t receive air time on this blog unless it can be tied to whatever point I’m trying to make. I also know that if I want this blog to be a part of my business and marketing strategies that I need to keep things professional.
That being said, all I’ve wanted to do for the past two weeks or so is issue a public apology to the person I unfriended a few weeks ago. Doing so might seem silly to some people, especially the people who said I didn’t need to explain my actions before enacting the unfriending. I shouldn’t have listened to those people. I forgot one of the cardinal principles by which I attempt to live: love your neighbor as yourself. If a person with whom I had or have a relationship wanted to unfriend me, I would want to know why. I would be hurt to be cut off without a single word.
Although I can’t state the “why” here – that is too personal and is between me and my now unfriended person – I can make my apology. I know that this person probably never will read it. I don’t even know if my private apology was read or accepted. I probably never will, and I’m going to have to learn to live with the reality of an unfinished chapter.
I know I might be worrying about nothing, but I still feel a responsibility. My heart hurts about what I did and how I did it and the pain I might have caused. I need to own the mistake I made so that I can learn from it and, I hope, not repeat it. I need to be responsible for my words and actions as well as the lack of them. Without further ado, my apology:
I’m sorry. I was wrong. I should have told you why I was unfriending you before I did it. The explanation probably wouldn’t have changed anything, but you deserved better. I took the cowardly route and somehow convinced myself that I was doing the right thing. I should have been braver. I wish I had been stronger and had told you why I was doing what I was doing. My silence was inexcusable. I’m so, so very sorry. Please forgive me.
A very personal issue, but one that I know I have grappled with, too. Having been on the receiving end of a de-friending without explanation, yes, it can hurt. But I have also had to eliminate some people from my life for various reasons, and neither regret my choice, nor feel the desire to apologize. Be easy on yourself- I am sure you have your reasons.
@RebeccaTodd Thank you, Rebecca. 🙂
I’m sorry to hear about the un-friending. I think it’s hard these days to keep personal matters private with the advent of social media. Personally, I still try to keep a layer between my social media presence and my personal life for this very issue. I have learned over time that these things do tend to blow over no matter how large it seems presently, so take heart in that and good luck.
@richescorner Thank you for the well wishes.
I try to do the same. It’s why I don’t talk about people – except perhaps my brothers – on my blog, and why I don’t air things online – not even on my personal profile. Words have a way of getting away from you. This particular incident just needed a little more space or something. Maybe it shouldn’t have received space here, but the deed’s been done.