Sarah

My son came to me with some news. He told me Dolly Parton had died and I said I knew. And then he got quiet for a second and said she loved me. She used to send me a lot of books. I had to just look at him for a moment. He was talking about the Imagination Library. The program where Dolly sends books to children every month from birth until they start school. Millions of kids across the country get these books. My son believed that Dolly Parton personally knew him. That she had specifically selected each book, thought about him individually, put it in an envelope, and mailed it to our house every single month because she loved him specifically. Not as part of a program. Not as one of millions of children. But because she and my son had a personal relationship and she was devoted to his literary development specifically. And honestly when you think about it from a child's perspective that's not even an unreasonable conclusion. Books showed up every month with her name attached. She clearly cared. Why wouldn't she know him personally. I didn't have the heart to fully correct him in that moment. Because also he wasn't entirely wrong. She did love him. She loved all of them. She just loved a lot of children at once and had a very efficient system for showing it. Rest easy Dolly. My son misses you personally.