08/25/2026
I absolutely cannot believe Dolly Parton is gone.
This one hurts.
Dolly Parton was a beacon of love and light in a world that constantly tries to convince us we have to choose sides.
She never did.
She walked close to God AND in sequins.
She could be deeply faithful and radically accepting. Brilliant and playful. Powerful and soft. Sexy and sacred. An extraordinary businesswoman who never pretended she wasn’t smart enough to know exactly what she was doing, while happily wearing the biggest hair, longest nails, highest heels, and most rhinestones she could find.
She never seemed interested in making herself smaller so other people could feel more comfortable.
I IDOLIZED THAT. It’s one of the reasons I spent a decade trying to redefine the word bossy.
Long before women were routinely talking about owning their power, Dolly was doing it. She wrote the songs. She owned the publishing. She built the businesses. She knew her worth. She told stories about poverty, working women, heartbreak, ambition, motherhood, sacrifice, and survival. And she did it without ever losing her tenderness.
She understood something I wish more of us understood: loving people does not require agreeing with them. Faith does not require judgment. Femininity does not diminish intellect. Beauty does not negate brilliance. And kindness is not weakness.
She made room for people.
All kinds of people.
Maybe that’s why this feels like more than losing an artist.
It feels like we lost one of the people who kept reminding us what America could look like when faith, freedom, femininity, generosity, humor, and love were allowed to live in the same human being.
I loved her.
I’m sooooooo sad.
And somewhere tonight, I have to believe heaven got considerably more beautiful, considerably kinder, and more adept at loving without judgment .
The day the music died.
Rest beautifully, Dolly. ❤️
