It is the start of the New Year, and I am gazing out over the calm waters of the Mediterranean, waiting for the sun to break through the clouds.

As I reflect on the year ahead, I am inspired by a line by Jean-Paul Sartre: “Man is not the sum of what he is already, but rather the sum of what he does not yet have, of what he could have”.

This idea may be difficult, but it’s a good fit with a quote I have taken from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet: “We know what we are, but know not what we may be”. This appears on the dedication page in my novel, Jessica.

My mother used to tell us not to let the shadows of yesterday spoil the sunshine of tomorrow, but how realistic is this? In Jessica, Harry cannot escape the ghosts of his past, whereas in my first novel, The Journey, a tragic accident threatens to destroy the bright future Simon had worked so hard for.

I am reminded of the fragility of our lives by a family Christmas celebration many years ago. It was the first time we had all been together for some time: no husbands, wives or partners, just our parents and their three adult children. My father had raised his glass and looked at each of us in turn before settling back into his chair. “I wonder where we will all be this time next year?” he asked. It was an innocent question. I had been living in Africa, my brother was stationed in the Middle East, and my sister had travelled from London.

My father died in early December the following year after a short illness. He was only 62.

If you’re confused, you’re not alone. Life is a game of chance, and all we can do is try to improve the odds.