Dolly Parton posing in a photo booth at age 20 in 1966.
A friend who isn’t from the U.S. asked me today why Dolly Parton is so deeply appreciated and loved here, so I thought I’d explain.
Dolly grew up in a one-room cabin in rural East Tennessee as one of 12 children in a family with very little money. After becoming one of the most successful musicians in America, she used much of her success to give back to the community she came from.
Her partnership in Dollywood helped make the park one of East Tennessee’s major employers while contributing to the region’s tourism economy. Through the Dollywood Foundation, she has supported scholarships and other programs designed to help local students succeed.
In 1995, she founded the Imagination Library, which initially mailed free books to children in her home county. The program eventually expanded internationally and has distributed hundreds of millions of books to children around the world.
After devastating wildfires struck her home region in 2016, her My People Fund provided millions of dollars directly to affected families. She has also donated millions toward medical care and research, including $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for COVID-19 research.
Dolly Parton became enormously successful, but she never forgot where she came from. She took what she had built and used it to create opportunities for the people who came after her. That generosity is a huge part of why so many people love her.
One day, your home will be empty, and someone will have to decide what to do with your things. They'll open your drawers. They'll find the watch you treasured so much, the car you spent three years paying off, and the clothes you saved for special occasions because you didn't want to wear them out. And they'll make three piles: what to sell, what to give away, and what to throw away. None of it goes with you. Not a single thing. The only thing that goes with you is that afternoon you stayed talking for hours and didn't even realize where the time went. The look on your mom's face when you showed up to visit her without telling her you were coming. Don't collect things... Collect moments with the people you love
🚨El nombre de este talentoso niño le está dando la vuelta al mundo luego de que su increíble presentación al ritmo de Smooth Criminal de Michael Jackson comenzara a viralizarse.
Y después de ver lo que hace con los patines...
es fácil entender por qué. 🕺⛸️
finding out the Knicks fan at the parade that tried to kiss the girl that woke him up actually OVERDOSED and needed Narcan to save his life.
everyone helping in this video is a NYC legend
⚠️ If you think he can just turn it off, you don’t understand him it’s not just sex, it’s connection and feeling wanted.
Reject it enough, and he won’t keep trying to explain or argue.
He’ll just pull away.
My daughter texted me from a party:
“Mom, do we still have ice cream at home?”
We don’t. That’s the code.
“Ice cream” means: come get me right now.
“Cookies” means: call me in five minutes with an excuse.
“Nothing” means: I’m okay.
She said ice cream.
I didn’t ask questions. I didn’t text back.
I just grabbed my keys and drove.
When she got in the car she said quietly,
“People started bringing out things I didn’t want to be around.”
We drove home in silence.
Every kid deserves a way out without having to explain themselves first.