Being Thankful 2

I was recently contacted by a friend of mine who is buying a new house.  Owning a house is something I barely can wrap my head around.  Part of me likes the freedom of renting.  I don't worry about owning something so big and then losing it.  I find unattachment easier when the risks are lower... don't we all? I also like renting because I am able to live in places I would never be able to afford, or are circumstantially rare.  When I first moved to the UK I lived in a wonderful historic flat on the seafront of Hove/ Brighton.  These one and a half bedroom homes sell for £250 000-£375 000.  We were able to rent one for a very reasonable price.  The place we live now is in the middle of a working farm, that we don't have to work.  I would be hard pressed to own a house in a similar situation.  Surrounded by orchards, livestock, tractors, and the hustle and bustle of hard working people.  It is my ideal, in many ways.  I am so thankful to be able to live here, to not have to worry about the damp that is working its way up the wall in our kitchen, for example.  I get a lot of perks out of renting.  Yet, there is something powerful about buying.  About having that kind of root structure under yourself.  There is something peaceful about thinking you are creating history in a home you can stay in as long as you can cover the cost.  In my little family's recent struggles with money, my security has been questioned and this has made me question where my heart is centered regarding money.  It is such a funny relationship and one I thought I had come to respect but not obsess over.  At the end of the day I just try to remind myself of what I am thankful for.  Here is some of what I am thankful for today: