Dear Sarah,
I am writing to sincerely apologize for letting you down last Saturday. I know I had promised to help you clear out your garage, and I feel completely terrible that I was unable to be there as planned.
Unfortunately, an unforeseen family emergency arose late Friday night. My elderly mother had a severe fall and had to be rushed to the hospital. I spent the entire weekend by her side to ensure she was stabilized and well cared for. It was quite a stressful and chaotic situation, which sadly prevented me from even giving you a quick call to let you know what was happening.
I understand that you still need to get the space sorted out as soon as possible. Since I will be preoccupied with caring for my mother for the next few days, I spoke with my cousin, Mark, who lives just down the street. He has kindly offered to step in and help you with the heavy lifting this coming weekend. Alternatively, if you prefer to get it done sooner, I would be more than happy to arrange and pay for a local clearance service to assist you.
Please let me know which option works best for your schedule. Once again, I am truly sorry for the inconvenience and short notice.
Warm regards,
Waranya