There’s a quiet ache that comes from being hurt — and knowing you may never hear the words, “I’m sorry.” Maybe it was a manager who didn't stand up for you when you were 100% right. A friend who walked away without explanation. A parent who dismissed your feelings. A partner who never owned the pain they caused.The event may have passed, but the apology never arrived. And it leaves a lingering tension inside: Should I bring it up? Should I let it go? Do I keep waiting — or do I finally move on?

In my work with clients, this moment comes up more than you’d expect. Someone is stuck in a place of emotional limbo — not because they haven’t forgiven, but because they never felt seen. They wonder if moving forward without an apology is possible. And the truth is: sometimes it has to be.

An apology can bring peace. But theabsenceof one doesn’t have to rob you of yours.

While we may not always receive the words we long to hear, we still have the ability to heal. We can acknowledge the hurt for what it is. We can grieve what wasn’t said. And we can make the choice to reclaim our story, with or without the resolution we hoped for.

This is one of the reasons I co-authoredThe 5 Apology Languages™. Understanding how apologies work — and how they fall short — helps us make sense of our pain. It shows us what was missing… and why it mattered so much. But it also gives us clarity and language to move forward. Not everything can be fixed, but so much can be named — and healing begins with that.