2022 Thanksgiving Message from Mike Staff
I love Thanksgiving Day. In fact, I try to be present enough to give thanks for my blessings every day. To remind me I have a personalized license plate on my truck that reads GIVETHX.
Giving thanks unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, and confusion into clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. With that in mind, here are just a few of the things I’m thankful for today (in no particular order) ….
- My healthy, happy, and kind daughters, Bailey & Ella
- God’s protection and promises
- My mom’s 90 incredible years. God bless her soul.
- The way my friends rallied around my family when my mom passed this year.
- Freedom
- Options
- My dear friends and incredible co-workers at Mike Staff Productions
- Our military men & women (and their families)
- Healthy food
- Kindness
- Belly laughs
- Blue skies
- Thunderstorms at night
- Party Point on Long Lake, Traverse City
- The smell of campfires
- Forgiveness
- A simple connection by smiling at a stranger
- Kenny Chesney & No Shoes Radio
- The Gym
- Gracious people
- Great books and the unlimited knowledge they possess
- Family and great friends
- Love
- Health
- The power of prayer
- Warm Caribbean water
- Truth (there is such a thing)
- Super creative people
- Clean water (something a BILLION people in the world don’t have. Think about that!)
- Kind people
- The sound of waves crashing into the shore
- America (despite our problems, it’s still the best nation on earth!)
- Yoga (my new favorite!)
- The change in the seasons
- Salmon fishing on the Betsie River (OMGosh – so much fun!)
- Patient people
- My increasing patience (still a work in progress, but I’m committed to it!)
- The gift of being passionate about things in life. Life is too short for “ho-hum”
- The great outdoors
- My Fred Bear Compound Bow
- Hot tubs
- Spotify
- My God-sister, Leanne. She holds such a special place in my heart.
- Food pantries & shelters, and the incredible volunteers that work them
- My pickup truck (I’m driving it to 300,000 miles!)
- The Michigan Wolverines (GO BLUE!)
- Dan Campbell & the Detoit Lions. I still believe (typical Lions fan, I know!)
- Funny people
- My pontoon boat. Without a doubt, the best thing I’ve ever purchased.
- Coffee in the morning (Mmmmmmmmm!)
- Ambition in both my daughters. I’m so proud of how hard they pursue their dreams.
- LOUD music
- Sandy toes
- Hunting camp
- Heated blinds at deer camp (we’re spoiled!)
- Sunrises
- Sunsets
- Metallica
- Hot water to shower with (try NOT using it sometime. Yikes!)
- Big dreams and worthwhile goals
- Deep conversations
- Shallow conversations (LOL)
- People who give more than they take
Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless …
Mike
Mike Staff is the founder and CEO of Mike Staff Productions, Metro Detroit’s most awarded wedding entertainment and media company. Since founding Mike Staff Productions in 1996, Mike has led a team that has served over 25,000 couples across Oakland, Macomb, Wayne, and Washtenaw counties — providing wedding DJ, photography, and videography services at hundreds of Metro Detroit venues. Under his leadership, Mike Staff Productions has earned recognition as one of the top wedding companies in the country, with consistent five-star ratings on The Knot, WeddingWire, and Google. Mike pioneered the Team Approach model — coordinating DJ, photo, and video under one contract — to eliminate the stress and coordination gaps couples face when booking vendors separately.
