I laughed, I smiled, I cried-Melissa Etheridge's I'm Not Broken moved me in ways I wasn't expecting. It isn't just a documentary, it's a mirror, showing how fragile and human we all are when life hands us pain too heavy to carry. Melissa's compassion for these women shines so brightly, and through her music she gives voice to struggles so many of us know but are too often afraid to speak.
As I watched, I couldn't help but see myself in their stories. In my younger years, I was in and out of jail for short stints, broken and self-medicating with drugs, just like so many others. There were times I drove drunk, and when I think back, I realize how easily I could have taken a life or lost my own. The women in this film could have been me-there but for the grace of God go I.
That's why Melissa's message about compassion, healing, and even the call for legalized medicinal opioids struck me so deeply. She's absolutely right-safe and regulated access to medicine could save lives and prevent so many from spiraling into dangerous addiction or a life of crime. If only our government had half the sense, empathy, and courage that Melissa brings forward, we'd be living in a world where brokenness isn't punished, but healed.
This film is more than a documentary-it's a lifeline, a reminder that broken doesn't mean lost, and that music, compassion, and honesty can stitch even the most tattered parts of our humanity back together. Melissa has once again shown the power of art not just to entertain, but to heal.
