To err is human – making mistakes is natural for us as human beings. Even when we are at our best behavior, we tend to make mistakes. Unless you keep making the same mistake time and again, it is alright to err. However, when you do make a mistake, it is best to be the better person and apologize.
The situation could be anything – you might have made a mistake at the workplace which made your supervisor angry, or you could have hurt someone close to you by doing something not too savory. In either case, it is best to apologize through an apology letter. Even with technology being so advanced, a simple letter can do wonders for your chances of being forgiven for something that you did wrong.
Also, an apology letter adds a touch of personal-ism to your apology, making it easier for the other person to forgive you for your gaffe. Your apology letter should have a remorseful tone – there is really no need to get into a jovial mood when writing an apology letter, even if you are known for your sense of humor. Respect the other person’s feelings and write an apology letter that is sincere. Here is an example of an apology letter written to a friend.
Sample Apology Letter for a Mistake
July 14, 2016
Dear Amber,
Please accept my heartfelt apologies for what transpired between us in the conference room yesterday. I am remorseful about the way I acted, making it seem as if I was taking your work away from you, when it is actually you who deserved the credit for it.
You and I are not just coworkers – we have been friends for over a decade and I understand that it was in completely bad taste for me to behave the way I did. I really should have been more tactful. I hope there is some way in which I can make it up to you so that we do not end up parting ways because of my foolish behavior. My attention at that point was to gain the project for our team, and since you are part of the team too, I thought I was doing all of us a huge favor. However, I now know that this was not the way to handle it and I should have just let you finish.
I will make sure that another incident like this does not transpire in the future. Once again, I hope you have the heart to forgive me for the terrible gaffe I committed yesterday.
Sincerely,
(Signature)
Dorothy Gale