Becoming Dolly Parton..

I am no Dolly, for two main reasons. First, I can’t sing like her; and second, I am me. The good news is, this isn’t about being Dolly. Rather, it’s about allowing her influence to light my path, to remember to shine where I am and to remind me that we all have had stormy times, even Dolly. As Dolly says, “Being a star just means that you just find your own special place and that you shine where you are.” Born and raised in East Tennessee, I have looked up to Dolly, admired her work, her faith, and her giving heart as far back as I can remember.

My favorite time of year is Christmas at Dollywood. I have many memories with my family of Dolly’s Christmas, the lights, taffy, and how the song “Tender Tennessee Christmas” brings me to tears even if I hear it in July. Dolly has always been a woman I look up to and that became even more prevalent when I began reading the book called, What Would Dolly Do? I had no idea that in Dolly’s mid 30’s she became so depressed due to a perfect storm of events, including a hormonal imbalance and a partial hysterectomy that she became bedridden for 8 months. “I went to the bottom as far as my emotions were concerned. See, I was 35 when I first got sick. And I was getting away with murder…I wasn’t taken care of myself. I was working hard and underneath I was a pile of personal and emotional problems. All at once I fell apart…

It was God’s way of telling me to get myself straight.” -Dolly As I read this, I cried my eyes out and thought, “Alright, God. Here is one more sign, time for me to get my life straight.” I also have been getting away with murder. I was a pile of anxiety, anger, depression and trying to numb it with all the wrong things. Her story made me go “No way! Dolly was sad? She was that depressed? I mean this is DOLLY!” It was a story I could relate to, one that gave me one more spark to keep moving forward. She then turned her life around and started changing

lives on a much larger scale than ever before. I knew at that moment that the path I had been put on was so I could become more like Dolly—kinder, more giving, a force of nature, a light in the tunnel and making sure to take care of myself, always. It was her darkness before the dawn. Dolly pulled up her boot straps and went to work. Since she couldn’t have children of her own, She made the world her children. She spent time on self-improvement, positive affirmations and her spirituality. She realized you can work to be happy or you can work to be miserable, which one would you rather choose? She showed the world the star she really was born to be. Are you showing the world the star you were born to be? Becoming “Dolly” is a metaphor for being the best version of yourself, the star you were born to be and for feeling all the feelings, the good, the bad the ugly so you can experience joy, peace,

happiness and spread love. And remember as Dolly says “If you want the rainbow you, You have to put up with the rain.” --