love is love is love is love
something told me yesterday morning to post this message. i wasn’t sure what it was exactly, but i had a strong desire to do so… knowing not everyone would agree {i don’t do confrontations well- at all.} i decided to post it anyways. and had an overwhelming positive response; full of love and thankfulness and people asking if they could share. so i thought i would share with you all, too. my thoughts and prayers continue to break for orlando and the loved ones affected.
…
my social media post:
yesterday was such a happy day for our family as parks entered the catholic faith, our faith, and one i am very proud of. {especially having my grandma with us to celebrate} yet it was a very sad day at the same time. my thoughts and prayers go to orlando and the people affected. i saw this today and wanted to share, “if your religion requires you to hate other people, you need a new religion.” i am very proud of my faith, but strongly believe that if God walked with us on earth today, he would love and accept all people. i feel his deep love in my heart and can’t imagine anything else. you can have strong morals/values and still accept all people. i was raised this way by my parents, along with the importance of a strong faith and community… and these are the things that i am most grateful for today. love is love is love is love. i hope to teach parks all of these things throughout his spiritual journey. “when i was a boy and i would see scary things on the news, my mother would say to me, “look for all the helpers. you will always find people who are helping. to this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ i remember my mother’s words and i am always comforted by realizing that there are so many helpers- so many caring people in this world.” -fred rogers
before parks’ baptism at st. patrick’s cathedral
june 12, 2016
when i left the church, while mr. monaco drove us home to celebrate, i received this message from a previous student, whom i just love very much:
I just want to thank you for always believing in me and seeing potential when I didn’t. You always encouraged me to write … which I still do and am even in the middle of creating a book! You made one of the biggest impacts in my life as a teacher and I needed you to know that. I respect you so much, and can’t wait to embark on my journey as a writer 💕 I owe it to you! xo
-be brave-
{taken at one of my favorite spots in st. louis while browsing with my sister}
and then yesterday, a few hours later, while i was setting up a graduation party that i helped coordinate {i think it was a success! yay} i received this message… it made my heart sing; knowing there was a reason why i felt so strongly about posting my thoughts:
Hi Mrs. Monaco,
I’m not sure if you remember me or not, but you were my 8th grade language arts teacher seven years ago (math is not my favorite, but I think that’s about right-wow that’s a long time). Anyways, I just wanted to say thank you for the many things I’ve learned from you, not just while you were my teacher, but over the years following as well. I love, love, love your Instagram and your blog; they are incredible and beautiful and inspiring. Parks is absolutely precious and I’m so happy for you! Thank you for being someone who I can look up to and admire and aspire to be like some day. Your post today struck my heart so deeply. I’m so proud to know that there are people as kind and filled with love and Christ as you are showing so much support. Love is love and I completely that if God were walking the earth today he would accept and love all people as his children. Your words were so beautifully written and I am so thankful you decided to share them. Thank you for all that you do and for being you.
I’m not sure if you remember me or not, but you were my 8th grade language arts teacher seven years ago (math is not my favorite, but I think that’s about right-wow that’s a long time). Anyways, I just wanted to say thank you for the many things I’ve learned from you, not just while you were my teacher, but over the years following as well. I love, love, love your Instagram and your blog; they are incredible and beautiful and inspiring. Parks is absolutely precious and I’m so happy for you! Thank you for being someone who I can look up to and admire and aspire to be like some day. Your post today struck my heart so deeply. I’m so proud to know that there are people as kind and filled with love and Christ as you are showing so much support. Love is love and I completely that if God were walking the earth today he would accept and love all people as his children. Your words were so beautifully written and I am so thankful you decided to share them. Thank you for all that you do and for being you.
Your post really meant a lot to me and it gave me the courage to finally say something. I found my middle school yearbooks while cleaning out my bookshelf- I have too many books and never enough to room to put them all. And I just I found the page where I was so so excited to have you sign my yearbook because you were always my favorite haha. I hope you are having a good Monday!
i mean- how sweet??
…
when i first started blogging~ making money and getting a certain number of pageviews per month was never my intent- and it remains that way today. i told myself that if i can impact one person, my goal is made. i think this is the reason God led me to both teaching and blogging. thank you, Father for guiding me to the career path i went down and for giving me the strength to share what i love most; i am so thankful for the relationships i have made within this community.
i truly adore you all.
thank you for following me on this journey
it’s been one of the best of my life so far
Comments (5)
Mattie @ Northwest Native
June 15, 2016 at 5:30 am
I LOVED your Instagram post…my sentiments exactly. <3 And that response from your student is amazing too. You're going to raise Parks to be one outstanding man.
nelle monaco
June 16, 2016 at 3:14 pm
Thank you so much! It made my day… young adults get bad rep but there are so, so many great ones!! hope you're well and your comment meant a lot to me
Emily @ Ember Grey
June 16, 2016 at 2:32 pm
Bless you, Nelle.
nelle monaco
June 16, 2016 at 3:14 pm
Awe, thank you!!
Unknown
June 17, 2016 at 3:26 pm
You are truly a beautiful person from the inside out and that shines through you like happiness. You have touched so many lives with your sweet personality and kindness. Including me. You sharing about Sunday and your former students reaching out to you has touched my soul tremendously!
Keep shining!
Comments are closed