There are certain mysteries of life by their nature unsolvable that contain an element of what I can best describe as a miracle. Dolly Parton, who recently died, falls into that category. The late Ms. Parton was born in 1946, the fourth of 12 children of Robert Lee and Avie Lee (Owens) Parton, in a one-room cabin in Little Pigeon River in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Dolly had commented that her father, having very little money, had to pay the doctor who attended her birth with a sack of cornmeal. This is not to say that there are not others who somehow have found a way to surpass their immediate surroundings to create in some fashion within their own universe a profound way of bettering all of humanity. Thus, it has been argued that William Shakespeare, one of 8 children, whose education was scant, compared to that of Christopher Marlowe, could write some of the most beautiful sonnets ever composed along with some of the greatest theatrical plays ever written in the English language. It had to be more than education that motivated the greatest of all bards to produce the works that would become the world’s treasure.
The recent passing of Ms. Parton evoked a long list of eulogies along with obituaries filled with love and praise toward her. Her death brought a welcome pause to the political rivalries and hostilities our country has borne for the past several years. President Trump had the American flag flown half-mast and the Empire State Building in New York City lit up in a multicolored display to mark her demise. Both Republicans and Democrats saluted her, marking a rare moment to Americans where their party leaders only have produced strife and discontent toward their counterparts from the opposition. It was as if Ms. Parton’s death allowed the public to share in the memory of a wholesome person, who remained untainted throughout her life by the moral bankruptcy rife in our culture. We know Dolly had transcended the morass surrounding her when both Presidents Trump and Obama only had good words to say about her.
Many have commented on the fact that Dolly was able to remain neutral throughout her life not choosing to take a political side. I don’t quite agree with this interpretation of the way in which Ms. Parton guided her life. Despite having very strong religious beliefs and values coming from her Southern upbringing, she never spoke meanly about outside groups such as gays, lesbians and transsexuals. To her credit, she was most accepting of all marginal groups. Evangelical Christians may have disagreed with her but they knew not to criticize her. It would have been sacrilegious to speak harshly about a person who not only came from a devout Christian family like theirs, but who also had been the fountainhead of so many philanthropic sources.
One of Dolly’s greatest achievements was creating the Imaginary Library of over 300 million books for children all over the world. Moreover, unlike so many other individuals that achieve success beyond their upbringing, she never left her roots. She went on to develop the Dollywood Resort, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee where she had been raised. Not only did this amusement park aid the local economy by creating jobs in the poor area where she came from, but it also provided a source of pride for its residents when people from all over the country visited it.
Ironically, when Jeff Bezos and J.K. Rowling paid their own sentiments of praise to Dolly, they were both labeled as hypocrites: Bezos for his posh wedding in Venice to Lauren Sanchez along with his ostentatious extravagance; Rowling, for her unkind comments toward transexuals. I imagine Dolly would be shaking in her grave to see her fans criticizing other people they disliked for expressing compassionate thoughts toward her. When she decided to part from her mentor, Porter Wagoner, she dedicated a song to him, the title of which was: I Will Always Love You. If she were still alive perhaps her swan song to her admirers would have been I Will Always Love You–but Please Find a Way to Love Each Other.
And that, in the end, may be the quiet miracle of Dolly Parton’s life. She rose from poverty without bitterness, embraced fame without arrogance, and held strong beliefs that she was unafraid of expressing. But mostly we remember her for her deeds of kindness that she gave with an open hand that showed how a single life rooted in generosity can momentarily unite a fractured nation. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if her admirers from all walks of life would carry forward the one lesson she lived every day—to find, even in disagreement, a way to love each other.
Dr. Bernard F. Natelson 