For most people, birthday is a special day. Not everyone celebrates with great fanfare or runs around singing “Happy Birthday” to themselves, but usually people will feel a little different that day, and look different. If we forget the birthdays of our loved ones, we will feel bad and not only that, they often feel let down. The key to making amends for forgetting someone's birthday is to design an apology that will mean a lot to that person and show that you really thought about it and worked to correct your omission. Some of the best ways to apologize are to say it in person but in a unique style, or by taking your time to help the person. Apart from that, you can also get creative and make something special for that person, or by setting aside time from your other activities and, instead, spending it with them.
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Method 1 of 4: Creative Apology
Step 1. Know how to apologize
When you hurt someone's feelings, for example by forgetting their birthday, you should express that you are aware of what you have done and are concerned about their feelings. When you are considering ways to apologize, think about the person you are apologizing to. What is your relationship with them? What kind of person is he? What matters most to that person? Let the answers to these questions guide you in making your apology.
Step 2. Design and send your custom-made jigsaw puzzle by mail
One way to apologize and show that you mean it is to make your apology last a few days or more. Here's one way to do it. You can look for websites online that will allow you to upload photos, which you will then use to create jigsaw puzzles of various sizes. Choose a photo of the two of you based on the nature of your relationship and the message you want to convey in your apology. Upload a photo and once you get the puzzle, write a message behind each piece expressing how sorry you are and, if you wish, how much that person means to you.
- The message need not be whiny and sentimental; something cute might be best suited for the person you forgot his birthday.
- When you're done, send that person one (or more) puzzle pieces each day.
Step 3. Create an “I'm Sorry” Coupon
Another way to make your apology last for a few days is to create an apology or “I'm sorry” coupon or voucher for a service or activity that the person can redeem whenever he or she wants. Again, think about the nature of your relationship with the person and what means most to them when deciding what to give. You can make your own coupons using art supplies or a computer and printer or you can buy coupons online and have them print them out for you. On the back of the coupons, write what the “value” of each coupon is.
Step 4. Apologize via social media
Apologizing publicly not only shows that you have humility (or that you don't get embarrassed easily) but it also shows that you are willing to accept responsibility for your negligence and go the extra mile to make amends. If you don't think the person will be embarrassed by this approach, you can post an apology on their Facebook page or tweet the apology on Twitter. Tailor the apology to your relationship and the person's personality.
- Add a very sad (or funny) photo, quote or song for both of you.
- It was highly unlikely that he would be the only one to respond.
Step 5. Broadcast your apology over the air
Another way to apologize publicly is to express your feelings of regret over the air. If you know what radio station the person listens to each day on the way to work – or on any other occasion – contact the DJ/broadcaster who is guiding the program and explain the situation. Ask if you can get 30 seconds of broadcast time to express your apology. Also find out if they want to play a specific song after that, a song that's just for you and that person. Show your persistence if you don't get a response right away. If they agree, write down what you are going to say and practice it. You only have one chance, and you must succeed.
- To make sure the person turns on the radio at the appointed day and time, you may need help from someone you can trust to keep it a secret.
- If that option isn't available, call the person before you go on the air and tell them they should turn on the radio because they're playing some really cool tunes or something.
Step 6. (For those who live in the United States) Wait for the national "I Forgot Day" to arrive
In the United States, July 2 is observed as "I Forgot Day". Believe it or not, such days do exist. If the person's birthday isn't too far from July 2, you can take advantage of that day. You can visit nationalcalendar.com and order the “National Day Wall Calendar”. Once you've got it, circle the 2nd of July and write a personal apology for forgetting his birthday. If he can't go to dinner, try lunch. Make a home-cooked meal with all of his favorite foods and set the table using the calendar as a placeholder for the person so he can be sure he'll see it.
When you sit down to eat, you can point to the calendar and say your apologies – which will likely not be forgotten
Method 2 of 4: Giving Your Time
Step 1. Offer to babysit at night
Obviously this is something you give to someone who has children or several children, but as far as apologies are concerned this gift is invaluable for parents in today's times who are always short on time. Find a creative way to present this gift along with your apology. If the person has a baby, for example, show up one day unannounced with a baby doll in the stroller. Slip in the doll's hand or on her side, a card expressing your apologies for missing her birthday, along with a certificate you made to offer free babysitting during the day or night.
You may need to make it clear that you need advance notice, but say it nicely
Step 2. Clean their computer
We all know that someone who isn't very tech savvy and has so many files on their desktop will need a miracle to be able to find a file, let alone open it. In general, such conditions also become a nightmare for the person. One way to apologize to someone in a situation like this, and make a big impact, is to offer to tidy up their computer, assuming you know how to do it. Email a belated, personalized birthday card to let him know that you feel sorry for your negligence and want to make up for it by breathing new life into the machine he's currently staring at.
Step 3. Take over the work on the page
While there are a handful of people in this world who genuinely enjoy mowing, trimming and pulling weeds, it's not an exaggeration to say that most people prefer to spend their Sunday afternoons doing other things, like watching football or going shopping – in an air-conditioned area. That way, for most people taking this task out of their hands as a way of apologizing would mean a lot. Consider your relationship with the person as you think of ways to convey your apology and this gift of your time.
For example, if that person is your father, maybe you could sneak into his closet and get his work clothes and boots, put them on and then submit a written apology on a watering can or in a trash bag filled with leaves you've collected and put in your garden. pocket
Step 4. Redeem it for a romantic night
One of the birthdays you don't want to forget – and usually with serious consequences – is the birthday of your lover or husband or wife. Not a good idea. And it's not easy to fix. However, a romantic dinner for two with a bouquet of roses and thoughtfully written cards, followed by a hot bubble bath, a long massage session and whatever comes after, well, that might be a long way to go to help break through the guilt of forgetting. your loved one's birthday. And it doesn't feel like too much of a burden for you to carry either!
Method 3 of 4: Making Something Special
Step 1. Make a jar of happiness
If you feel so sorry that you forgot someone's birthday that you want to make up for it, it means that you have a special relationship with that person. It also shows that you really care. Making a jar of happiness for the person can show this concern. All you need is a mason jar complete with lid, paper and pen. Of course you can be more creative, but what really matters is what you write. On each piece of paper you put in the jar, write down your memory of that person – something you experienced together, something you remember he or she said or did at one time, his or her appearance on a special occasion, how you felt about that person at that time. this and at different times since the two of you knew each other.
- Also include a larger piece of paper or a small card saying you're sorry you missed the birthday.
- If there's still room in the jar, put in his favorite candy, coins to play in the playground if you do the activity together, things he might collect and so on.
- Decorate the jars if you wish. You can tie around it with ribbon, paint it, show off a combined photo of the two of you on one side.
Step 2. Bake the cake from afar
Sometimes the person doesn't live close together, and while you can call, email, send a card or a casual gift, you may also be looking for something a little more punchy behind your apology. The following could be one idea. Record a video of you making the person's favorite type of birthday cake. You can make a funny video or you can pretend you're the star of a cooking show, which he might find funny too. You can even light a candle, sing him "Happy Birthday" and offer your apologies.
- Burn the video onto a CD, write down the cake recipe and wrap it like a birthday present before you send it in the mail.
- If you think your cake will last the journey, send it too, or maybe just a piece of cake.
Step 3. Download their favorite songs
If you haven't seen one on the internet, USB flash drives (USB flash drives) are now sold in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and materials. There's even an action hero series USB flash drive. You can also buy a flash drive that can be modified to your liking from various online sites. Since it's small and you don't have a lot of space to get your message across, make it short, or consider using symbols or photos. Then fill the flash drive with songs that the person likes (songs that are yours, of course).
- Add a photo of the two of you. Make a special playlist.
- Before you give it to the person, go online and print out a blank sheet of music paper. Write your apology and birthday wishes on it when you give the flash drive.
Step 4. Paste the message above the Post-It
If you have access to the person's home, buy a colorful Post-It package and write various messages on it, depending on the nature of the relationship between you and the person – it could be a memory, a quote, a feeling or a joke. Paste a small photo or other keepsake, such as tickets from a concert you watched together, on some of the Post-Its. While he or she is not at home, post the Post-It in both visible and hidden places throughout the house so that these messages will be found not only when the person comes home and sees them scattered everywhere, but also from time to time..
Then glue several Post-Its together to create a card that expresses your apology, which you can either leave after some crazy stunt with the Post-Its or you can wait to hand them over in person
Method 4 of 4: Spending Quality Time Together
Step 1. Plan a great day
There are very few things that can show you care, and nothing compares to wanting to spend time with that person. Knowing them well enough to be able to plan a great day will only reinforce that fact. Here's how it works. Think about all the things they like to do in your city or area – favorite places to eat, favorite activities, favorite places to go – and then plan a day that includes those things. It can be an amazing day full of surprises.
Arrange so that you can pick up the person in the morning. When you arrive, hand in your itinerary – or paste it into the menu of the restaurant where you started the day with his favorite egg Benedict dish
Step 2. Enjoy a picnic together
Food and sunshine, perhaps by a lake, river or ocean. Maybe even a grill. Who doesn't love a fun picnic? You can go alone with the person or invite other friends. All it takes is to choose a time, location and pack food, drinks, blankets/mats and anything else you want to play with or ride with on the picnic. You don't even need a car. When you invite him over for a picnic, pack lunch in a brown paper bag and write your apology in marker on the bag. Place the pouch on top of the Frisbee, tie them together with a ribbon and hand them over to your loved ones with a smile.
Step 3. Pack up and get going
This may require a bit more planning, and more money depending on where you're going, but going on a trip – going on vacation and spending time alone – may be the apology needed in some cases. Or, this trip could be a really fun time with your loved one and also make sure he or she knows it. Maybe you can spend a night in this quirky town a two-hour drive away, a weekend at the summit or a weeklong long trip to Bali. Budgets and schedules can vary, but one thing is constant – the importance of making time and spending it with the people who matter most in your life.
- If so, what better way than inviting them for a trip and then giving them an alarm clock with your apology written on the back?
- If you want to splurge, buy a watch and have the apology engraved!
Step 4. Design a hunt
Decide where you want to end the hunt, which will later become a place for the two of you to do something together that the person will really like. It could be a bowling alley, a movie theater, a restaurant or even a river that you can both cross in a canoe. Then start making relevant or significant hints for him or for both of you. For example, the clues could be personal jokes, memories, things you've talked about doing, etc. Write or print the instructions on paper or any type of material as long as they match the placement location. The first clue, for example, might be written on a piece of frosted paper taped to the bathroom mirror while the third clue might need to be laminated (or even put in a jar) because it was buried next to the tree you used to climb together as a child.
- Don't tell the person that the hunt is your form of apology!
- Go to the finish point before the hunt begins and deliver a bunch of balloons that say "I'm sorry". Include a gift, if you like, and express your apologies before spending the day having fun with him.
- If that doesn't work, just take one balloon, put it in your pocket, blow it up when you get there and give it to him, along with your apology.
Tips
- Even though Facebook reminds you of your “friends” birthdays, you'll need to log into the app regularly to get those reminders. Luckily, there are apps out there that can help you remember. Look for “birthday reminder” or “daily reminder”.
- Many cell phones also have a built-in calendar that allows you to set alerts and reminders. You just need to remember to set an alert.
- There are also stalls in almost every mall selling wall calendars featuring pictures of animals, landscapes, flowers, cities and every imaginable cartoon character. You only need a pen.