Other than being the title of a song this statement illustrates what I believe to be a truth in this world. The song mentions that “everybody cries and everybody hurts sometimes.”   My take is that sometimes the crying and hurting is caused by our own brokenness. More specifically, a belief of mine is that we are all broken.

This may seem to be a depressing view of the world, but it really isn’t meant that way. You see, if we are all broken then none of us is alone in our brokenness. We all have people who go through the same thing we do that can help us in our time of trouble. People we can help in their time of trouble.

That’s not to say we are all the same. We are all unique individuals. The ways I am broken do not match up exactly with the ways you are broken. Some of them might overlap though. If not with you, then maybe with the guy over there. The same is true for you, your brokenness has mirrors in other people.

Maybe you cry when you drop food on the floor. Perhaps you recoil at the thought of spending a day around other people. It could be that big decisions give you panic attacks. There are many ways we can be broken. Some big, some small, all of them shared by others in the world.

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A great example of this can be seen in recovery groups. The people in those groups come together because they share a similar way of being broken. They lend the appropriate kind of support for the struggles they face. The hold each other accountable for progress in their recovery. Recovery isn’t necessarily about no longer being broken. Recovery may be about functioning well in spite of brokenness. It could be a group that helps each other limp through the worst parts of life while celebrating the wonderful parts together.

We will always have problems to face. The truth we need to know is we never have to face them alone. Talk to your friends and family. Find a hotline to call. Visit a local church and ask the pastor to point you to help. Search for forums and chat groups online. Search for a group in your area. If nothing else, send me a message. I’ll do what I can to point you to the right place.

Everybody hurts, but nobody has to suffer alone.