Dolly, we will always love you

Whenever I’m asked to name someone I would want to meet, I give the same answer: Dolly Parton.

You might think I would say that I want to meet the pope, and of course I would be delighted to talk with Pope Leo. And there are other incredible leaders and writers and celebrities I admire.

But I’ve always thought Dolly would be the best choice. I might freeze up or say the wrong thing while talking to some people, but never with Dolly. Dolly is genuine and authentic. She seems like she would make anyone feel at ease. We could laugh or cry together. She would probably tell me wonderful stories. Maybe she would even start singing. And we would part the very best of friends.

Today, it’s hard to believe Dolly is gone. Yes, she was 80, and yes, her husband passed away not too long ago. And yes, she seemed more frail lately, as if the years were finally catching up with her a bit. But Dolly has always been larger than life, full of energy, brimming over with creativity and artistry.

Dolly was one of the good ones.

It’s hard to believe that she won’t sing another song or create another production or launch another campaign to save whatever part of the world she can—helping children learn to read, fighting against Covid, and trying to make the world just a little better and a little brighter.

As she once said, “I like trying to make people happy and lift people up and glorifying God. That’s my mission in life.” What a beautiful mission—a mission that anyone could embrace with success.

Today, we feel the weight of this loss. Because Dolly always exuded joy and light and love. And I am truly sad to see her pass away. She was a magnificent performer and an incomparable storyteller. Her distinctive voice with its signature twang carried us to the Smoky Mountains, to her childhood home, to her earliest beginnings, and to the path that carried her through an incredible career.

I could never get enough of Dolly. And I never will.

Dolly, thank you for sharing your gifts so beautifully. Thank you for showing us how to live and how to love and how to make music along the way. Thank you for the stories and the songs that were always so relatable and true. Thank you for being so fully you—and letting us rejoice in who you were.

Rest in peace, Dolly Parton. Hope to meet you in heaven one day.

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