This is all I would leave if I was just going to validate-
"I see what you are saying & I can see how that would be a difficult thing to figure out."
Should I not add something else to that? Maybe, "What can I do to help you feel better?"
I wouldn't put the responsibility on him. I would say something like:
I understand your concerns, and I can see how my actions may have hurt you. I am working to understand what may have caused that response so that it does not happen again.
