We lost a great example of what humanity could be this week with the passing of Dolly Parton. There are many new and old stories being told about her kindness, her fierce independence, her brilliant wit, her love of life, and of her fellow human beings and her God, but that is not my focus here. Those tellings will live on as her legend continues to grow and touch people, as it surely will.
What I want to highlight is the significance of the outpouring of love and appreciation that is being offered in her name. What I want us to consider is how the Goodness of one human being has had the capacity to touch so many of us. And most importantly how this moment of recognition can create a wave of kindness among us. The greatest reciprocity that we could offer this magnificent, bright light of a human being is to walk our own path as she did. To be valiant in the face of hardship, to be resilient before those who would diminish us and to never give up.
The greatest homage we could pay at this time would be to step fully into ourselves as she did. To embrace the gift of life with celebration and joy. If we can unleash the freedom of spirit and the unrelenting care for all people that she demonstrated; it would be the honor deserved.
A gay interviewer once asked Dolly how she felt about drag queens loving and emulating her, in so many words she told him she appreciated them, and then she said, “If I hadn’t been a girl, I would have been a drag queen.” There is an abundance of freedom in that. There is unbridled love.
Compassion was her constant companion. That compassion exists in all of us. It was not unique to her. She embodied it; she owned it. And so can we. Dolly(s) of the world arise. You are needed.
Forget-Me-Nots
let kindness win 