I was taught that a simple "please and thank you" is important to express not only gratitude, but respect. It has become a habit to do this when I order food, somebody opens a door for me, somebody gives me a compliment, etc. I believe an apology is equally as important. I am grown enough to take responsibility when I make a mistake, no matter how big or small. But there are a few apologies I never got the chance to give out:

1. My parents:

I’m sorry. There aren’t enough "I'm sorries" in the world to apologize enough to you both for my mistakes. You have had to put up with countless tantrums, breakdowns and bad decisions. But you haven’t given up on me. You never left. Your love and support is never-ending, and I hate how I sometimes forget that and take it for granted. Everybody wants to make their parents proud, and I hope that I have a bright enough future to outshine my past mistakes in your eyes.

2. The girl I judged:

I’m sorry. I don’t knew anything about you, not even your name. I should have never made the quick judgment about what you were wearing, what you said, or how you were acting. I know what goes through my head when I see a girl give me that look, and I regret giving it to you. Hell, you could have turned out to be my best friend if I would have just gotten to know you.

3. My roommate:

I’m sorry. My side of the room is trashed. I woke you up this morning when I was getting ready. My music taste is weird. Our room smells like my leftover BW3s. I left a bowl of cereal on the counter for almost a week. My coughing kept you up all night. It takes me 15 alarms to get up. I make you proofread all of my papers. The list is endless. You see me like none of my other friends see me, and that is not always a good thing.

4. MYSELF:

I’m sorry. I don’t always trust your instincts. I am entirely too hard on you. I have spent weeks hung up on things you did that shouldn’t have even crossed my mind twice: the failed exam, the stupid boy, silly mistakes, etc. They make me question your worth and that is something you do not deserve. You’re doing the best you can, and I have to remember that. You will get where you need to be one day. Everything just takes hard work, time and patience.

5. My best friend:

I’m sorry. I bother you with the littlest of things. I call you in the middle of the night because the show you told me to watch on Netflix blew my mind. I send you too many ugly Snapchats, but you screenshot them all anyway. I make you approve my Instagram selfies and favorite my tweets when I think they’re funnier than they really are. But more importantly, I don’t always listen to your advice when I know you’re right. You warned me about that boy, but I fell for him anyways. Because of that, you had every right to not listen to how hurt I felt after, but you did. You’re my best friend and there is no bond like ours.

6. The boy I never gave a chance:

I’m sorry. I never gave you the chance you asked for. You were always there, but I was too concerned with impressing people who didn’t care about me to see that. I probably hurt you a lot more than I realized at the time, and I genuinely apologize for that. You didn’t deserve it. Now that I see you today, I know I messed up an opportunity with a great guy. Whoever you end up with is extremely lucky, and I hope you know that.