08/25/2026
There are some incredible gems in this world. Ones that shine through the hate; the sun rays on a rainy day. Dolly Parton was one of these gems and the world lost her today but her legacy will live on.
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For those of you whom do not know, I was born and raised in East TN. Aside from a few short stints here & there, I lived there most of my life until I moved to NJ in 2019.
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Dolly was everywhere. You could barely go into a store without hearing one of her stores or seeing her face. Some of my earliest memories are going to Dollywood-a cultural attraction that celebrated Appalachian life. This photo is from the last time I was there, the mid-2010s with my mother & stepdaughter from my previous marriage.
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If you haven’t been in rural Appalachia, it’s hard to understand the level of poverty. It’s also hard to understand how unique the culture is. Dolly celebrated the culture and lived her life with a mission to give back to the communities. I could name off the countless programs, financial donations, and philanthropic actions she provided for East TN and beyond.
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And she did so with humility and compassion. She spoke out against corruption and was a force to be reckoned. Her Imagination Library program supported literacy for millions of children all over the country.
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Dolly will always be an inspiration to me. Her Light was so bright and it is my hope to embody her generous & compassionate spirit in my practice as well as my life. And she was also fun. She knew when to be serious and when to play. Shine on Dolly, in your words, “if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”