If you are the person that needs to "redeem" yourself to a family member, start first by apologizing. Set aside your pride and reservations about apologizing and just do it! Approach the family member with a calm voice and ask to talk to them. You may not be forgiven right away, but you made a step and you will be recognized for it. You also need to ask the family member if you can have a conversation with them on a later date to see if you can resolve what had happened. You need to keep it a private conversation between you and keep it to yourself after words. Privacy is an issue with every family. Many times, the family member wants to be able to do the talking and express why you made them feel the way they do. They may say something you don't agree with, don't be quick to snap back. Take a minute to understand why the family member feels this way. You two may not agree on feelings, but you both feel. Make an agreement to agree to disagree.

Avoid making a situation worse by "fueling the fire". If you are on the outside looking in on the disagreement with family members, don't choose sides. Be a support and listen to what your family members have to say. Show respect by not telling the other side how that person feels; and do what you can to bring them back together and discuss the situation. Don't take all of the responsibility onto yourself. Use your other family members as support and as a group approach the situation. Most important, remember it is not your battle, and if the family members don't want you to help, do not take offense. Sometimes stepping back is the best way to help.

If you are the one that has been hurt, work at forgiving the person that hurt you. It may take a lot of time, but over some time you should be able to forgive that person. Do not hold a grudge. That will only make the situation worse and could make you appear like the bad guy. Everyone makes mistakes and should be given an opportunity to make it right. If the family member that hurt you doesn't approach you, make an opportunity for you to approach them to let them know what they did hurt you or was not appropriate. Many people will do things and not realize what they have said or done has offended or hurt someone else.

Some situations can never be resolved, but you have to take your opportunities to make them right. The best advice anyone can give or get from someone is to redeem a relationship before it is to late is to communicate. You will not be able to accomplish repairing a relationship with talking and expressing feelings about the situations. You may not feel as if you may in the wrong, but everyone has different opinions and feeling.