I was pulling into the Marshall’s parking lot when I got a text from my mama:
I just sat there.
You don’t get news about a national treasure like Dolly Parton and then carry on about your day. You sit in it. You remember. You grab the memories in your mind.
And then, last night, we had a friend over for dinner. Of COURSE we talked about Dolly. Her music…some. Her movies…maybe. I mean…who could ever forget her role in Steel Magnolias?!? “Just paint my door red and call me Elizabeth Arden!”
But the main thing we talked about was how Dolly lived her life and was as a person. I’ve never heard anyone say a single unkind word about Dolly Parton. Quite the opposite. Everyone adores her. Praises her. Quotes her. Cries about her. Everyone says how kind she is. How generous. How funny. How smart. How genuine.
My thoughts then went to how she handled her faith. No one questioned whether or not Dolly Parton loved Jesus. They didn’t wonder if she was a woman who believed. They KNEW. And yet…she didn’t act religious. Ever. She was never judgmental. She never condemned.
I love this quote from her:
Never use religion to judge others, because if you love God, you must know that He loves all of us without exception. - Dolly Parton
And how about this one:
I don’t have to march in the streets. I just try to live it and be it. - Dolly Parton
I think that’s my favorite thing about her. And, I’d be willing to bet that’s what she will be remembered for…her love and her kindness. Her ability to be in the world and make it a better place without judging it and those in it.
Oh, those songs we will be a playin’ … you can count on that. But that LOVE…that’s the stuff we’re going to be thinking about for years to come.
Just goes to show that at the end of the day…it’s not about your talents (they’re great) or what you can DO (I mean…do good things:) but about your character, who you truly are and how you make others feel. That’s what remains.
Be like Dolly.
xox.eb
Just cried again...