51. I Am Enough

Like many parents, every night Feelings & Co producer Marcel Malekebu lets his daughters pick a bedtime book to read … and his oldest daughter’s favorite has a message we all could use in our lives.

Transcripts may not appear in their final version and are subject to change.

I’m Marcel Malekebu. And It’s Going To Be Okay.

How exactly do I know that?

Because… every night in my house, around 6:30, we start the process of bedtime for my 1- and 2-year old daughters. 

[tape of bathtime sounds or water filling up]

We draw them a warm bath, moisturize their skin, brush their little teeth, put on this lavender oil, shea butter secret concoction thing onto the soles of their feet and behind their ears, and then put on their night clothes.

After they’re all greased up and dressed, they pick out books from their bookshelf for us to read them before bed.

[tape of them picking out books or singing holding these keys]

Mani and Nia each have their favorites. Nia really likes these short simple ones with baby animals in them and Sesame Street ones.

Mani likes really long books with stories about little girls like her.

But virtually every single night, there is one book that Mani makes sure that we read. It’s arguably her favorite book of all time. And she’s only 2 years old as I record this, so that says a lot.

It’s a book I’ve pretty much memorized front to back at this point.

The book is called I Am Enough and it’s written by actress and author Grace Byers. And I’m gonna read this book for you today. Hopefully you like it as much and we do.

I Am Enough:

Like the sun, I’m here to shine.
Like the voice, I’m here to sing.

Like the bird, I’m here to fly 

And soar high over everything.

Like the trees, I’m here to grow.

Like the mountains, here to stand.

Like time, I’m here to be,

And be everything I can.

Like the champ, I’m here to fight.

Like the heart, I’m here to love.

Like a ladder, here to climb, 

And like the air, to rise above.

Like the wind I’m here to push.

Like a rope, I’m here to pull

Like the rain, I’m here to pour

And drip and fall until I’m full.

Like the moon, I’m here to dream.

Like the student, here to learn.

Like the water, here to swell.

Like the fire, here to burn.

Like the winner, I’m here to win,

And if I don’t, get up again.

I know that I may sometimes cry,

But even then, I’m here to try.

I’m not meant to be like you;

You’re not meant to be like me.

Sometimes we will get along

And sometimes we will disagree.

I know that we don’t look the same:

Our skin, our eyes, our hair, our frame.

But that does not dictate our worth;

We both have places here on earth.

And in the end, we are right here

To live a life of love, not fear…

To help each other when it’s tough,

To say together:

I am enough.

—-

I like this book a lot.

I like that it teaches my daughters persistence.

I like that it teaches my daughters how to adapt to circumstances.

I like that it teaches my daughters to love and care for others.

I like that it teaches my daughters to love and care for themselves.

But more than any of that… what I REALLY like… is that Mani picks this book up every single night of her own volition, and says, “let’s read I Am Enough, Daddy!”

And it’s that simple choice that she makes… To use this idea as one of the many bricks to build the walls of her identity and her reality… that lets me know it’s going to be okay.

CREDITS