He lashed out at a neighbor during a bipolar episode — then wrote a letter that made her cry

There’s power in being able to own up to one’s mistake sincerely. A woman named Ruby (@rubyredr0ses) shared a heart-melting post about her neighbor, who had a sincerely thoughtful response after having lashed out at her. Christopher is autistic and has bipolar disorder, which caused an impulsive reaction in between their otherwise calm conversation. As neighbors, it was going to be difficult avoiding each other, with awkward run-ins guaranteed. A week after their clash, he decided to make up for the ugly moment with a priceless gesture that spoke volumes about his kind heart and gentlemanly stature. The woman was in awe of the apology, and the internet, too, couldn’t get enough of his rare sense of accountability. 

According to the National Autistic Society, autistic people with bipolar disorder experience sudden and abrupt changes in their mood. It can also include episodes of intense feelings of anger and depression. When these episodes happen, it can cause a person to act impulsively and even lose control over their behavior. Ruby mentioned that her neighbor, too, had similar outbursts, which mostly came out of the blue. The night of their argument was perhaps one such bad day for Christopher. Ruby went on to recall the instance where he had said something “really unkind.” 

After their fight a week ago, Christopher dropped her a card, a bouquet, and a bag of cookies. The card had the words 'Sorry, Ruby' written on the outside — it turned out to be a note of apology. It was filled with honest hope to let bygones be bygones. He wrote: "I don't like how things are at the moment, and I miss our times together — talking and socializing. Sometimes I say things in the heat of the moment [that] I do not always mean. I hope you will accept my 'sorry gifts.'" Then Christopher quickly added, “P.S. I really do like your family, and you, and your dog."

Completely floored by this unexpected gesture, Ruby took to X, putting all of this online. She captioned the post: "I’m actually crying. I live in a building with an autistic man who has bipolar [disorder]; he has angry outbursts and last week said something really unkind. He struggles with understanding he’s in the wrong & apologising, but [he] gave me this today."

In a comment, Ruby wrote, “I actually couldn’t cope with how thoughtful and sincere it was.” She was moved to tears at the authentic and heartfelt apology the man shared. The adorable note had many in a chokehold. @beauty_stable noted, “So moving! Takes a big person to apologize, never mind someone with his difficulties.” @cattibrie added, “This is proof that loving-kindness always wins!” @veritypittsVIP remarked, “What an incredibly kind man, what an incredible person you are. My brother is autistic too and it’s so incredibly warming to see people accepting everyone for who they are.” @bookworm_mouse added, “This is lovely — and shows you must show him wonderful kindness too!”

You can follow Ruby on X at @rubyredr0ses for more of her anecdotes.