08/28/2026
๐ ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐น๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป. โจ๐
Recently, I was talking with a friend and my husband about the many things I admire about Dolly Parton.
Her talent.
Her generosity.
Her courage.
Her resilience.
But perhaps what inspires me most is that Dolly never asked for permission to be herself.
While so many of us spend our lives trying to fit in, Dolly never made herself smaller, quieter, or less colorful to make other people comfortable.
She stood firmly in her truth.
She honored who she was. Eventually, the world had to catch up, accept her, and admire her for it.
Since turning 50, I have realized that it can be harder to find people 10 or 20 years ahead of me who inspire me in the same way I found role models when I was in my 20s, 30s, and 40s.
Dolly is one of those people for me.
As I get older, I do not want to become quieter or more concerned with fitting in.
I want to become bolder.
Braver.
More expressive.
More rooted in my truth.
More unapologetically myself.
These โPaula Partonโ photos ๐, which AI helped me create, still honor my facial features and identity. They will also serve as a reminder:
I do not need to become someone else.
I simply need to become more fully myself.
This is not the season to hold back. It is the season to take action, honor who I am, and live more boldly than ever before.
If this speaks to you, I invite you to join me.
Letโs make this our ๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐น๐น๐ season. Not by becoming Dolly, but by having the courage to become more fully who we were always meant to be.
I am ready to be older, bolder, and more unapologetically myself.
Are you ready to join me? ๐
๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ค ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ, Dolly Parton ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ฌ. ๐
๐ฆ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฏ๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐, ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐น๐น๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐ด ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐.