Say This, Not That

Platitudes. We hear them often. The well-meaning comments intended to soothe or assuage:

My boyfriend ghosted me – Plenty of other fish in the sea
My father died – Heaven just gained another angel
We had a miscarriage – You can always try again
I have cancer – God never sends us more than we can bear.

I propose a synonym for platitudes … I’m sorry.

My boyfriend ghosted me – I’m sorry
My father died – I’m sorry
We had a miscarriage – I’m sorry
I have cancer – I’m sorry.

Truth be told, there are no magic words to make these, or a host of other painful, heart- breaking situations better. As simple as ‘I’m sorry’ may seem, I think It is a perfect anecdote to false hope or well-intentioned refrains. AND, once you get used to saying, ‘I’m sorry,’ it’s so much simpler than trying to find the perfect words…because there are none.