Haiti earthquake - Problems here pale by comparison

We have been through some difficult times in recent weeks as a result of the bad weather and the continuing downturn in the economy. But that suffering pales into insignificance in comparison with the natural disaster that struck Haiti on Tuesday.

The devastation is so extensive that authorities are not attempting to predict the ultimate death toll, other than to suggest that it will be in the tens of thousands.

All of this is a timely reminder that things could be so much worse here, and we should not take what we have for granted.