Editor's Note: In celebration of Thanksgiving, we asked our Experts to contribute a "Thank you" on behalf of a family member. We are all part of the Family Village, and taking a moment to appreciate each other is what this holiday is all about.

This particular contribution came from a dad we met not too long ago who thanked US for SavvyAuntie.com, while singing the praises of the aunts and uncles in his child's life. We were so touched by his outpouring of appreciation for his extended family and friends, that we asked him to be a guest expert and submit an essay for Thanksgiving. Here is Scott Henderson's Thank You card to you, Savvy Auntie.

I was a nephew before I was an uncle.  I was an uncle before I was a father.  Now that I am a father, I want to say one thing to the aunts and uncles of the world: thank you.

Raising a kid is one big hairball of emotions. Sure, there’s the unconditional love thing, but there is also the underlying rage and anger, too.  No matter the joys we get, all parents long for the days when evenings and weekends were filled with freedom and frivolity, not bath time and diaper changing.

From a kid’s perspective, aunts and uncles are human jungle gyms.  You are a rock star.  You are a rebel.  An easy rider.  You represent the wild side of adulthood.

As a younger brother with no kids, I remember taking great joy in sweeping my nieces off the ground, tickling them, chasing them around, and basically revving them up…right before saying “Goodnight” to my brother and sister-in-law to go home to a quiet apartment of my own. 

Even then, I realized that despite the chaos I just created for the adults, I knew I had created a peak of joy for the kids.  And for the latter, the adults were grateful.  Now, I know why and I’ll let you in on the secret.  

We parents lay down the rules and have to enforce them for our own sanity and to avoid raising a miscreant.  But deep down inside, we just want to chuck all these rules and shake our fist at the establishment.  That’s where you come in.

You see, my dear Aunts and Uncles, you represent a different worldview.  One of adventure and excitement.  Revel in this role.  Pick your niece or nephew up (literally and figuratively) and show them a new way to look at the world.

It was my mother and father who raised me and guided me in troubled times.  It was my grandparents who rooted me into my family traditions.  But it was my uncles and aunts who broadened my horizons.

Without my aunts and uncles, I would not have learned to drive a stick shift, be inspired to take guitar lessons, sought to achieve tennis greatness, enjoyed the back stage scenes of Italian festivals, hiked the Rocky Mountains, got my hands on the coolest toys around, or feasted on many family meals.

A good number of my childhood memories are from times spent with my aunts and uncles.  On daytrip outings, sleepovers, and vacations, I got to experience the wild side of adulthood and have that extra serving of dessert without the maternal guilt.

The next time you see your beloved nephew or niece, be the one who breaks the rules.  Be the one to challenge the system. Be the one who revs the kids up and leaves them for mom and dad to handle.  And, go home knowing full well that you’ve done a great service for the kids and the parents.

Scott Henderson is the father of Ethan, an 8-year-old sports fans, and married to Jen, his bride of 11 years.  He is also uncle to eight nieces and nephews and famous for knee tickles and over-the-shoulder turnovers.  Scott earns his living as the principal of Rally the Cause Productions, a strategic consultancy specializing in cause marketing online.  You can connect with him at his blog or on Twitter (@scottyhendo).