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.
have a (heavy) ˈcross to bear
, 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.