Sometimes Sorry Does Not Sound Like Sorry

Welcome to Habibti Reads the Room

Musings is where I put the things that belong in Habibti’s world but need more than a meme or a caption.

It may come from something I have seen, heard or been told. It might be about work, family, relationships, parenting, one of the books or courses, or an event that is worth sharing. I also use this space to explain the thinking behind some of the Habibti Reads the Room comics when there is more to say than the joke itself.

There is no fixed subject. If I think it belongs here, I put it here.

These are my thoughts and observations. Read them for what they are. Take what helps and leave what does not.

Habibti xx

Sometimes Sorry Does Not Sound Like Sorry

FamilyRelationships

Families do not always apologise properly.

A brother and sister can have a huge argument, refuse to speak for two hours, then he sends:

“Karak or qahwa?”

That may be the closest thing to “I’m sorry” you are getting.

Some people apologise with words. Others turn up with coffee, send food, fix something, check whether you got home safely or start talking to you normally again because that is their way of saying, “Can we stop this now?”

You do not have to accept behaviour that genuinely hurt you. If something needs addressing, address it.

But there is a difference between being assertive and letting pride keep a family argument alive long after everybody wants it finished.

You can say:

“I didn’t like what happened, and I don’t want us speaking to each other that way again.”

Then still drink the coffee.

Good family relationships need effort after the argument too.

Remember birthdays. Ask about the children. Give something to your nieces and nephews when you can. Call occasionally without needing a reason. If somebody is going through a hard time, check in rather than assuming somebody else in the family will do it.

Those little things matter because families change.

Your brother gets married and becomes a husband as well as your brother. Your sister becomes a mother. People gain in-laws, children, work, responsibilities and whole parts of life that were not there when you were growing up together.

The relationship has to make room for those changes.

You may not speak every day anymore. That does not automatically mean you are less close. Sometimes adulthood simply means making a more deliberate effort to stay part of each other’s lives.

And if there has been an argument, do not always wait for the perfect apology before deciding whether you can move forward.

Sometimes the apology is awkward.

Sometimes it arrives in a paper cup.

Habibti xx Reads the Room.

If your brother sends coffee after a fight, you are still allowed to tell him he annoyed you.

Just drink it before it gets cold.