A songstress and sage

Ah Dolly,

I was surprised at my reaction this week when I heard about the passing of Dolly Parton. I wasn’t an avid fan, so I was a bit stunned to find myself shedding a few tears at the dinner table when the news was announced on the radio.

The next morning, as I drank my coffee I wrote this.

Seeing the outpouring of love for Dolly over the last couple of days, it’s clear that she touched something within many of us. Yes, she was an amazing singer and songwriter, a witty raconteur, and a philanthropist and this has certainly been what many people have recalled.

Yet what has touched many of us was much more than that, wasn’t it? I think her character was an inspiration which has left an imprint on many of us.

This week I have been working on my book proposal and really thinking about the journey from Hulp to Hope. One chapter within the ‘Path to Hope’ section is a chapter on belonging, in which I write about self expression, self trust and self acceptance and it struck me that Dolly was the embodiment of these very things.

I think it’s why I have witnessed so many people share that they often think, ‘What would Dolly do?’, because whatever she did, she did it from a sense of belonging; either a sense of her own belonging or extending that sense of belonging to all she could.

So, in memory of Dolly, here are some of her quotes on self expression, self trust and self acceptance:

Self Expression:

‘I've never been one to follow what other people are doing … I just had my own personality, my own thought of who I was and how I wanted to look. I laugh out loud when people say I'm a fashion icon 'cause I never intended for that to happen.’

‘Find out who you are and do it on purpose’

‘When I got something to say, I’ll say it’

‘I’m not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I’m not dumb - and I’m not blonde either

‘Prayer is not a formal affair, it’s more come-as-you-are’

Self Trust

‘I’m very real where it counts, and that’s inside.’

‘You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try.’

‘I’m not going to limit myself just because people won’t accept the fact that I can do something else’

‘When someone shows me their true colours, I believe them.’

‘I'm just saying I don't look at my life in terms of regrets. Some people say where there's mistakes. I said, no, because what I did at the time was what I felt like I needed to be doing at the time. So I can't really call that a mistake or call it a regret. I was building.’

Self Acceptance

‘The magic is inside you, there ain’t no crystal ball.’

‘It costs a lot of money to look this cheap.’

‘Being a star just means that you just find your own special place, and that you shine where you are.’

‘People always ask me how long it takes to do my hair. I don’t know, I’m never there.’

"I often say I'm comfortable in my own skin no matter how far I've stretched it as the years go by," "But I think there's a lot to be said about being comfortable with who you are 'cause I don't know how to be anybody else. I don't want to be anybody else."

Within this interview she speaks about having a good attitude and being kind, but how that also does not mean that she is a pushover or simply settles for being ‘nice’.

Watch the interview

Here’s to Dolly, a woman who taught us how you can be badass with sparkle and sass.

Here’s one extra video celebrating her wit and whimsy to really go down the Dolly rabbit hole…

If you’d like to write along this week…