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Man Receives An Unexpected Facebook Apology From Bully 20 Years Later

by Gillian Fuller

Getting bullied as a child isn't something that goes away easily; the sh*t sticks with you.

ChadMichael Morrisette, 34, knew the pain all too well. As a teen in Alaska, Morrisette says he was constantly picked on by the entire football team.

Morrisette recalled his experience,

It wasn't one guy [bullying me] it was six or seven guys who would follow me in the hallways, harassing me, insulting me, threatening my life.

But earlier this month, one of his former tormentors reached out via Facebook to apologize after 20 years.

On May 5, Morrisette woke up to a message on Facebook from a man named Louie Amundson.

Amundson, as the message revealed, was one of Morrisette's former bullies. He'd written to apologize and ask forgiveness for his childlike behavior all those years ago.

Morrisette, surprisingly, didn't remember him.

He said,

That's because there were so many bullies it was hard to name them all.

Nonetheless, the apology moved  him.

Morrisette added,

It unlocked something in me I didn't realize I'd been holding onto. I cried a little bit. It was so moving.

And while it's certainly easier to hold onto a grudge than it is to forgive, Morrisette, now a successful visual designer and brand consultant in Hollywood, accepted his former bully's apology.

For Amundson, receiving forgiveness for his past behavior was a bit overwhelming.

He reportedly told Yahoo! Parents,

[I felt] humbled and ashamed and relieved all at once. I owed him that apology, he did not owe me his forgiveness. The fact that he was able to forgive me showed that I may have been the bigger kid but he is he bigger man.

Citations: Bullys Powerful Apology To Student He Tormented 20 Years Later (Yahoo!)