have a cross to bear

have a (heavy) cross to bear

To have a difficult responsibility or burden that must be handled on one's own. When Nancy's husband passed away, she had a heavy cross to bear—raising four children on her own.See also: bear, cross, have

have a (heavy) ˈcross to bear

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bear/carry your ˈcross

suffer the trouble(s) that life brings to you: We all have our crosses to bear.This refers to the punishments used in the time of Jesus and described in the Bible.See also: bear, cross, have