The Sparkle Is Gone

Dolly Parton died August 25 at age 80.

She was, in the words of one person on social media, "a truly good person." Those four words sum up Dolly Parton's legacy. I have not heard or seen anybody speak ill of her. She was beloved by liberals and conservatives, by young and old, by people who love country music anb by those who wan't stand it.

She was a singer. She was a songwriter with more than 3,000 songs to her credit. She was an actress. She was a philanthropist. Her Imagination Library mailed some 3 million books for free to children from birth to age five. She was kind. She believed in acceptance. She supported the LGBTQ community. A devout Christian, her religion was personal. She never tried to impose it on others. But she lived the most Christlike life of anyone I’ve ever heard of.

There is a burgeoning movement to make 9/25 Dolly Parton Day. The city of Nashville, Tennessee, where she lived, is hoping to rename the city airport after her. I mean, if an airport can be named after the felonious president of the United States, how about naming the Nashville airport after such a good, kind and generous person?

I have never liked country music, but I would listen to Dolly‘s music. She wasn’t the old style country music with all the twangy guitars, so I could listen to her. But I think much of my willingness to listen to Dolly Parton sing was the knowledge of what a great person she was. She was funny. She was self deprecating. She was kind. She was compassionate. She stayed well away from politics. She was a dog lover. She cared about the environment. She was a wonderful, generous philanthropist. She donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University to aid in the development of what has become known as the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. When people in her part of Tennessee were suffering in the aftermath of a mess massive flood, she donated lots of money. She was a big advocate of the LBGTQ population.

She was an extremely successful woman, breaking down barriers from the very first days of her career. She was an astute businesswoman. She grew up in extreme poverty, the fourth of 12 children in the family. Yet she never forgot where she came from. The people of eastern Tennessee remained close to her heart for her entire life.

One person online described her as being goodness without self righteousness.

The world will be a sadder, crueler place without Dolly Parton in it.