IN his thought-provoking blog on The Northern Echo’s website on April 17, which followed a visit to a Darlington boy in hospital, editor Peter Barron made a profound philosophical point: “enjoy your children”.

How often do we pause to reflect on the blessings in our lives: good health, stable democracy, humane social welfare and health care delivery systems, and the temperate climate rarely interrupted by natural disasters.

It seems that our national pastime is to complain about most things: weather, NHS, councils, social security and politicians (with some justice, of course) to name just a few.

When Prince Charles complained about our newspapers’ obsession with bad news all the time, some years ago, a national newspaper mocked him by publishing the accurate timing of sunrise on its front page for several days. Why?

Because the newshounds seem to equate only bad and sensational stories with “news”.

How refreshing, then, to read your editor’s blog in our turbulent times.

From now on, I should desist from grumbling about Arctic winds, escalating cost of living, greedy politicians and other bad news in our newspapers.

Thank you injecting a note of sanity for your readers.

Dr Abdul Jaleel, Darlington.