Dolly Parton left us on Aug. 25, but her gigantic, generous spirit will live on.

We loved her, because she loved us. She left us no doubt.

As New York Times columnist, David French, wrote, no matter who you were, “You knew – you absolutely knew – that Dolly loved you and wished you well.”

In a world gone mad, Dolly was genuine — wigs, make-up, rhinestones and all: part of a glittery persona that she adopted for business purposes, she said.

“It costs a lot of money to look this cheap,” she laughingly told talk show hosts.

The idea, Dolly explained, was to let people know that there’s more to a person than what we see on the outside.

Dolly’s glamorous, made-up appearance encased a heart of gold.

“For all the awards, records, rhinestones and worldwide recognition, Dolly’s greatest legacy may be the way she made people feel,” her obituary reads. “She encouraged people to dream bigger, laugh at themselves, remain true to who they were, and extend kindness wherever possible.”

Dolly’s generosity is perhaps best known to residents of Sevier County, Tenn., where she grew up. There, she encouraged high school students to graduate by giving monetary awards through a “buddy system;” established college scholarships; opened Dollywood — in part to provide employment opportunities; and made monthly donations to families flooded out of their homes in eastern Tennessee, until they were back on their feet again.

Around the world, and right here in Barry County, Dolly’s legacy lives on through her Imagination Library. She established the early childhood literacy program in 1995 — in honor of her father, Robert Lee Parton, who never learned to read. Since its inception, the Imagination Library, in partnership with local communities, has mailed over 300 million books to registered children from birth to age 5.

My Grandpa always told me that books were just the product of somebody’s “big imagination,” implying that people who read books were just consumers of fairy tales. That was me. I read every work of fiction that I could get my hands on, starting with “Little Golden Books,” “Big Little Books,” and Nancy Drew mysteries, followed in later years by novels inappropriate for my age. 

Some of those books I found on shelves at my grandparents’ house, where my aunt before me had been an avid reader.

In that same house, I fell in love with Dolly Parton when I first heard her sing “I Will Always Love You” on one of numerous variety TV shows that Grandpa liked to watch. Her signature break-up song, written for Porter Wagoner, mesmerized me. Without knowing the story behind the lyrics at the time, nor even that Dolly had written the song herself, I recognized her sincerity.

My grandpa was right: works of fiction are indeed the product of someone’s big imagination — but I don’t consider that a bad thing. Without imagination — the basis of creativity – we’re little more than automatons.

When young children’s imaginations are fired through reading, higher-order cognitive functions like comprehension and critical thinking kick in, say scientists. Television-watching, on the other hand, is more passive, with less activation required in areas of critical thinking.

Not long ago, my Dad told me that he didn’t think Grandpa knew how to read — at least, not well. As a child, that possibility had never occurred to me. Now, I think my dad was right.

Orphaned by age three, Grandpa was raised by an uncle who may have meant well, but who used Grandpa as his live-in farmhand. For Grandpa, school past the eighth grade was out of the question. So was escaping to an imaginary world through reading.

For Grandpa, I now realize, TV served a purpose. He bought one as soon as they hit the market and parked himself in front of it at the appointed hour for nightly world and local news broadcasts, every day.

For the rest of you, those of you who do know how to read, don’t take the ability for granted. Sharpen up those cognitive skills. Don’t let them slide – opt for reading over television watching.

Above all, introduce your children to the world of books; teach them to read as soon as they’re interested.

Do it in honor of Dolly’s father, and in honor of my grandfather.

In lieu of flowers, the Parton family is requesting that donations be made to Dolly’s Imagination Library. Support the Barry County partnership by mailing checks to the Community Care Coalition, at P.O. Box 660, Cassville, MO 65625, with “Imagination Library” written on the memo line. If you prefer, donate directly at https://imaginationlibrary.com/ and specify Barry County, Missouri.

Sheila Harris is a long-time Barry County resident and a sales executive and investigative reporter for the Cassville Democrat with a particular interest in environmental topics. She may be reached at [email protected].