Dolly's legacy: Be real. Be kind. Do good.

Dolly Parton once said, “I may look fake, but I’m real where it counts.”

Her realness and her authenticity, coupled with generosity and no hint of judgment, always set Dolly apart.

And those qualities are what drove countless fans and colleagues to mourn her death on Tuesday at the age of 80. During her time on this planet, she not only entertained us on stage and in film, but she also imparted valuable lessons.

Lesson 1: Be true to yourself.

Dolly never hid where she came from or tried to polish what others might have considered unsophisticated. Her thick East Tennessee accent stood as a reminder of her roots and never became a costume she put on for audiences. Her Tennessee mountain upbringing was the source of her stories, her humor, and her empathy.

Parton also managed something that has become exceedingly rare. She was loved by people who agreed on very little else. That was not because she carefully concealed who she was. It was because she made room for people. She could stand firmly in her own identity without treating someone else’s identity as a threat.

“Don’t be like me. Be like you.”

Lesson 2: Do what you can with what you have.

Her wealth instilled in her a sense of responsibility to support those who had much less than she did.

She created jobs and drew visitors to the area she grew up in through Dollywood. After wildfires devastated Sevier County in 2016, her My People Fund gave direct assistance to families who had lost their homes. She donated $1 million to coronavirus research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, helping support work that contributed to the Moderna vaccine.

“I just see a need and if I can fill it, then I will.”

Lesson 3: Support causes that matter to you personally.

Her most enduring gift may be the Imagination Library. Parton started the program in her home county in 1995, inspired by her father, who could not read or write. What began as a local effort now mails free books each month to millions of children in five countries, including all 100 counties in North Carolina. Thousands of children in Burke County and Caldwell County have received books monthly.

“Inspiring kids to love to read became my mission.”

Lesson 4: Be kind to others.

In an age that often rewards outrage and self-promotion, Parton demonstrated a different kind of influence. She was funny without making others small. She was confident without pretending to be flawless. She was generous without demanding that every good deed become a monument to herself.

Her life reminds us that kindness is not simply a pleasant disposition. It is work. It requires noticing what people need, deciding that their need matters, and doing something useful about it.

“If you see someone without a smile today, give ’em yours.”

Best tribute to Dolly Parton

Few of us will write a song known around the world or have the resources to give away millions of books. But the principle of Parton’s life is available to us all: Use what you have to make life better for somebody else.

Remember where you came from and be true to yourself. Let success enlarge your obligations, not your ego. Do not confuse disagreement with permission to be cruel. Find a need close to home.

The best tribute to Dolly Parton will not be merely playing her songs.

It will be living out the lessons she left behind.

Read more about Dolly’s connections to Burke County on today’s front page.