It was my turn to write the paper’s comment column today and so I got to write something which pretty much sums up my mood as 2004 fades into memories.

Here it is - reproduced without permission, but what the hell…

IT MAY be more commonly associated with over-indulgence and humongous hangovers, but the passing of one year and the arrival of the next also inevitably brings a time of reflection for most of us.

Tonight, as the chimes of Big Ben usher in 2005, whatever our own individual private fears, hurts and griefs, most of us will be warm and safe and in the lap of relative luxury.

Most of us will not be gazing out to sea, wondering whether the bodies of our parents, our spouses, our children will ever be washed ashore.

Most of us will not be wrapped in an aid agency blanket, now our only possession, wondering how – and where – on earth we will live, and earn our living.

As we gather our friends and family around us, spare a thought for those who are unable to do so any more.

As we make our choices and resolutions for 2005, spare a thought for those who have had all choice taken away from them in the blink of nature’s eye.

Amid so much gut-wrenching sorrow and incomprehensible loss, there has never been a better time to count our own blessings.

Begin tonight.