Sometimes when things are difficult for me, I find myself saying humorously to God "Thank You Sir, may I have another?!" in reference to the scene in Animal House when the freshman pledges are being spanked as part of a fraternity initiation. It reminds me with a laugh that I need to thank God for not only my blessings, but for my struggles as well - for it is during these times I believe I'm growing the most in my faith and in my character.
A friend once showed me a cartoon drawing with several people carrying large and heavy crosses. One person in particular stops every now and then on the journey to cut a portion off his cross, thereby lessening his burden. He's quite pleased with himself until he comes across a cavernous gap in his path. The others who have been on the same journey have used their large and heavy crosses to bridge the gap and continue on their way, leaving behind the person whose cross is not big enough to see him through.
Everyone has some sort of cross to bear, that I'm certain of. Who among us does not? We all know someone or some family who seems perfect in every way, sometimes causing us to feel imperfect in every way. But no one is without their burdens, no one is without their cross.
It's easy to get caught up in our own difficulties, so to that I will say, what can you do to lessen the weight of someone else's cross? If you can take just a moment in your day to reach out to help or pray for someone with a heavier burden, whether you know them personally or not, you will inevitably lessen the weight of your own cross.
And just for fun, here's a very young Kevin Bacon in Animal House:
