the song of a broken heart

I hate it when people compare themselves to me. As if everyone in the world were the same, or going through the exact same thing. Especially when they're older than you and say things like, "when I was your age I.....", and expect that to make you feel better. I'm not exactly sure what they're trying to imply, but it sure doesn't make me feel better. On the contrary, to me it sounds like I have no right to feel the way I do. Don't get me wrong, I have every respect for my elders, they've sure gone through more than I have, but you'd think they'd know how to console better because they've endured more pain. The worst is when people lay out all the logic, all the reasons why you shouldn't feel the way you do, and all the reasons for you to be thankful, like one word will make everything better. I know it all, and I am thankful, but it doesn't excuse the pain. I know it doesn't make sense, I hate myself for dealing with things the way I do, I wish I were stronger, but I'm not. I'm not like you, so stop expecting me not to cry when it hurts so much. I was thinking about what the best thing someone could say to an aching heart, and realized the only thing that helped me was when someone told me that it was okay to cry and feel the way I do. Why are we ashamed of our tears, they are the evidence of a bleeding heart, and we brush them away as if it were nothing. The reason it hurts so much is because the heart is alive. I hate it when people say feelings don't matter, if they didn't, God would not have given them to us. I'm not saying that we should place our hope and faith in our feelings, no, our hope is always on God and in His promises. What I'm saying is that God gave us a heart for a reason. He too has a heart, one that can rejoices and laugh, but that can also cry and be angry. Just because He knows we'll be okay doesn't mean it doesn't hurt him when we endure such pain. If he said "rejoice with those who rejoice, and mourn with those who mourn", don't you think He does likewise? I know what I need to do, I know I have to keep fighting the fight of faith, holding on to the hope I have in Christ Jesus for dear life, keeping my heart from hardening, and leaning on my God for all my strength to go on. I know everything you have to tell me, and I'm doing my best, all I need from you is you're sympathy, tell me you love me and don't add condemnation to my pain. For those who need to hear it, "It's okay to cry".