This is the trend. My ex does not apologize for what he has done to our whole family, but I hear he has apologized to others who were semi "friends" as if they were more important to him. In my case, the kids are all grown, and even the grandkids feel he owes them an apology, so they have nothing to do with him. I understand people change, and you can't always reconcile that change with the life you had planned before. It can be cathartic once an apology is given. It is not an excuse but a simple statement: "I am sorry I hurt you."