This is from Pam at The Brat Factor

Whenever you think your well being is dependent on the
behavior of others, you lose your power. The other day
I felt I needed an apology from my husband and when it
wasn't forthcoming I went into sulk mode. After a huffy
night's sleep and a semi-masochistic workout, it hit me!
Wait a minute, I hate sulk mode, and my life is too
fabulous to play in Sulksville. For what? To wait for
my husband to apologize? I know my husband, and I KNOW
he was not happy with his frustration in a circumstance
that he ended up aiming at me. I KNEW he was sorry. So
why did I need to hear him tell me he was sorry? True it
does our hearts good to hear a heartfelt apology, but our
feeling better should never depend on an apology.

If someone hurts your feelings, it's really their problem
for being hurtful. And if they don't apologize it's their
problem for not being able to apologize! It's only your
problem if you let your feelings be hurt. It's only your
problem if you have to have an apology to get on with life.
The funny thing about my epiphany is that I shared it with
my husband. I told him that I knew he was truly sorry for
his little temper outburst and that he is such a love most
of the time (he probably displays a quarterly outburst on
a bad year) that he need never worry about apologizing to
me EVER. He said, "You mean you've granted me an apology
free life with you?" "Yes siree!"

Now here is the amazing thing that happened: he actually
apologized three times during our conversation. Once I made
it very clear that I did not need an apology, it freed him
to give not one, but three! I think there's a bigger lesson
in this. When EVER we are in needy mode it is harder to get
what we need. When we are free of needing and just know all
is well, then all is well!
Pam