*How to apologize for the _big mistakes_* 1) Acknowledge that
   you did it. (hardest part for most people) 2) Explain what
   happened (this can take a few minutes, or a few days. For
   example, when you betrayed a friend. They need some time to
   process and they may have a lot of questions and anger to get
   out) 3) Express remorse (the "I'm Sorry" part.* If you knock
   over someone's glass of milk, you say "I'm sorry" right away;
   this list is for apologizing for the BIG things.. and they take
   some time) 4) Repair the damage as much as you can. (especially
   important when you betrayed someone's trust in you.* It can take
   a while to rebuild it. But it *is* possible if you keep at it).