Man Realizes He Was Wrong to Mock Sister’s Job After Wife Needed Her Help

Sometimes the thing we mock the loudest is the thing that ends up saving someone we love.

This Redditor admits that for years he made fun of his younger sister’s work. She’s a physiotherapist, not just any kind, but a pelvic floor physiotherapist, often misunderstood because most people have never experienced the issues she treats. He didn’t get it. To him it looked niche, weird, maybe even silly. So he mocked it. A lot.

Then his wife gave birth earlier this year and developed complications that left her in pain. That’s when he saw exactly what his sister does, and the difference it makes. The therapy his sister specializes in was the reason his wife could live pain-free and regain her health.

Suddenly, what once seemed like something to ridicule felt like something meaningful and important.

He tried to apologize. She won’t accept it. In fact, she’s made it clear she doesn’t want a relationship anymore.

This isn’t just a story about a job. It’s a story about ignorance, humility, and how hard it can be to rebuild trust once it’s broken.

Now, read the full story:

Reading this, I felt that familiar sting many of us get when we see someone we love do something valuable we once dismissed. It’s easy to mock what we don’t understand, especially when it doesn’t affect us personally. But health, pain, and vulnerability have a way of rewiring our assumptions in a hurry. This guy saw his sister’s true worth only when his own family needed it.

That kind of realization can be humbling, but it also highlights something deeper, respect is not only about what someone does, it’s about seeing their effort, their expertise, and the impact they have on others. And once that respect is lost, it takes more than words to rebuild.

Now let’s look at this through the lens of research and expert insight.

At the heart of this story are two intertwined experiences: misunderstanding a profession and the emotional weight of regret.

Pelvic floor physiotherapy isn’t “silly” or “niche.” It’s a specialized area of healthcare that focuses on muscles and structures that most people never think about until something goes wrong. These therapists help people recover from childbirth complications, urinary incontinence, pelvic pain, and more, issues that deeply affect quality of life but are often stigmatized or misunderstood.

According to the American Physical Therapy Association, pelvic floor therapy improves outcomes for people experiencing postpartum pain, bladder control issues, and pelvic dysfunction. These conditions affect a significant number of people, especially after childbirth, but they’re rarely talked about openly.

This explains why the OP’s initial perception was skewed. When something doesn’t touch your world, it’s easy to dismiss it as unimportant. But when it does touch your world, like when a loved one struggles with pain, suddenly that expertise has a face, a story, and real value.

Psychological research on apology and forgiveness shows that a sincere apology is often not enough on its own to repair a damaged relationship. A 2015 study in Social Psychological and Personality Science found that acknowledging the specific wrongdoing, demonstrating understanding of the harm done, and showing consistent behavior change over time are critical factors in whether forgiveness follows an apology.

The OP acknowledges he’s sorry, but part of his sister’s rejection likely comes from the duration and tone of his past behavior. Making fun of someone’s career repeatedly, especially one tied to women’s health, sends a message of contempt, not respect. A general apology (“I’m sorry I mocked your job”) may feel narrow or past-tense to the sister, whereas the harm stretched over years. For repair to begin, the apology would likely need to include:

1. Explicit acknowledgment of the specific harm. Not just “I’m sorry I was ignorant,” but “I recognize that my words made you feel devalued and that your work suffered from my mockery.”

2. Validation of her experience. People need to feel seen and understood, not just forgiven.

3. Demonstrated changes in behavior over time. Saying you see the value now doesn’t erase years of ridicule. Consistent respect moving forward matters most.

Part of why his attitude was dismissive ties into broader societal patterns. Studies show that men often undervalue women’s health issues unless they directly affect someone they care about. In a Pew Research survey, many respondents noted discomfort or lack of awareness about reproductive and postpartum health conversations, often because these topics remain stigmatized.

When a profession specializes in an area people rarely discuss openly, misunderstanding can thrive. That doesn’t excuse mocking, but it helps explain why this misunderstanding lasted so long.

Here’s how the OP can expand his apology in a way research finds most effective:

• Be specific about the harm. Say exactly how his words hurt her, not just that he was wrong.

• Express understanding of her work’s value. Not just to his family, but to her patients.

• Ask for space and time. Forgiveness can’t be demanded. It must be earned.

• Show continued respect in actions, not just words. This could mean telling others openly how valuable her work is, or supporting her professionally.

An apology alone doesn’t instantly fix relationships, especially ones strained over years of dismissiveness. But a structured, sincere approach that acknowledges harm caused, offers validation, and shows long-term change creates the conditions where forgiveness becomes possible.

Check out how the community responded:

Many Redditors called out the OP for how long he held those dismissive views and questioned why he only changed once it affected his own family.

Some commenters were blunt about how late the realization came and about the need for deeper self-reflection.

Other commenters emphasized that mocking someone’s career, especially in healthcare, is deeply disrespectful.

This Redditor’s journey from mockery to regret is one many people can relate to, not because we like admitting mistakes, but because we’ve all misunderstood or undervalued something until it hit home. What makes this story resonate is the gap between ignorance and lived experience, and how personal need can suddenly turn a dismissive attitude into awe and humility.

But respect once lost isn’t instantly regained. Forgiveness requires more than “I was wrong.” It requires clear acknowledgment of specific harms, validation of the other person’s experience, and consistent behavior over time that shows change isn’t temporary or convenient. Psychology research has shown that these elements make forgiveness more likely, especially after long-standing patterns of dismissiveness.

So the big questions remain: If you were in his sister’s shoes, what would it take for you to consider reconciliation? And for those of us watching from the sidelines, what does this story teach about how we talk about careers, health, and the people we love before we truly understand them?