I briefly recently had a bad habit of emailing three or four close friends with my minor whinges about various domestic disasters.

However, when the replies came, I realised how easy my life was. I would receive mails about appalling physical symptoms which might have heralded major pathology, all described in minute detail. Even worse, one friend had had two close friends die within two weeks of each other. Also, whereas my small problems also had simple solutions, their difficulties, as well as much more serious, involved things like huge property problems , some requiring litigation.

Some years ago when at college, we had to do a ten day art diary about our lives over the Christmas period, then gather around and show our work and describe what had happened over the time. As the descriptions went around the table, with illnesses, death, and serious separations, I felt quite ashamed when it came to my turn. I had described cleaning silver, designing decorations, cooking etc, and the worst thing that had happened to me was my freezer defrosting a few days before Christmas. I seemed to be the only person who did not experience a major disaster.

I am beginning to think that I am really quite lucky.