Yes, there’s the turkey and the stuffing and the pies (oh the pies!)…but really, my favorite part of Thanksgiving is the time I get to spend with the lovely, precious people in my life.

My husband and I are both from Atlanta, Georgia and we travel down south every November to spend a full week with our families for Thanksgiving. It’s such a nostalgic time for me. The smells, sounds, and tastes transport me to my childhood and the memories of growing up in such a supportive and loving world.

As my kids grow and my role as mom continues to change, it’s begun to dawn on me that the requisite “what do you say?” question posed to them after receiving a gift or a treat is not quite enough to teach gratitude. Gratitude is also about being appreciative of love and kindness and support—and looking up from a digital device to the pupils of someone’s eyes to say Thank You.

So as the month of November begins, I feel reflective about those people in my life that have guided me, helped me, loved me and supported me. I remembered this game I used to play at the start of camp when we would toss a ball of yarn across a circle to create a web of friendship. Our counselors wanted us to notice that we were all connected and one action in the web led to a reaction on the other side. We would then snip a piece of string from the web and wear it as a bracelet for the duration of camp to remember that connection. And while my arm is not stacked with strings for all of the people in my life that have made a difference, I am grateful for them.

American Greetings has launched the #thanklist campaign…it’s like a bucket list of people you want to express gratitude towards for helping to shape your life, taking a step towards a world that’s just a little bit nicer.

Join the #thanklist conversation by posting a show of gratitude for someone who has shaped your life on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram with #ThankList. For every #ThankList created on social media channels, American Greetings will donate $1 to United Way for hunger prevention.

This post was sponsored by American Greetings.

November 5, 2015| Thanksgiving