The World is a Little Less Sparkly Without You 🤍

I’ve been thinking a lot about why the loss of Dolly Parton hurts so much. And I think I figured it out. It’s because Dolly was loved by everyone.Different religions. Different political beliefs. Different races, backgrounds, generations, and walks of life. Somehow, Dolly crossed all those lines and made people feel like they belonged.

People loved Dolly because Dolly made people feel loved.

Dolly was the kind of Christian I strive to be. Not one who judges people for being different or decides who is worthy of God’s love. Not one who uses faith as a weapon. Dolly loved people where they were. She stood up for people who were hurting, talked openly about hard things, and made room at the table for people who didn’t always feel like they belonged. And she did it without ever losing herself.

Dolly came from very little—a tiny cabin in the Smoky Mountains, one of twelve children—and turned that humble beginning into a life overflowing with generosity. Through her Imagination Library, she has helped put more than 300 million free books into the hands of children around the world simply because she believed every child deserved the chance to read, dream, and imagine a bigger life.

She gave us the voice, the songs, the rhinestones, the wigs, the humor, the movies, and yes… the boobs. 😂 But I don’t think Dolly’s greatest legacy will be found in a song.

I think it will be found in how she made people feel:

Seen.

Accepted.

Safe.

Hopeful.

Loved.

And for those of us who have struggled with our mental health, we know just how powerful that can be. To feel like you don’t have to pretend. You don’t have to be perfect. You can show up exactly as you are. Dolly seemed to understand something many of us spend years learning:

Kindness matters. How you make people feel matters. And you never know how much a little love might mean to someone who is struggling.

So I’m not just mourning a country music legend I grew up with. I’m mourning a woman who somehow made the world feel a little more human. A woman who came from very little and left behind so much.

Dolly, thank you for the music.

Thank you for the books.

Thank you for the laughter.

Thank you for the courage.

And most of all, thank you for showing this Christian girl what loving people the way Jesus taught us to love can actually look like.

What a legacy.

What a woman.

What a gift.

Rest easy, Dolly.

We will ALWAYS love you 🤍