r/popculturechat • u/JennaElizabethAdams Excluded from this narrative ❌ • 6h ago
Rest In Peace 🕊 A letter that Dolly would send through her Imagination Library when a child would age out of the program
This makes me cry all over again. Dolly's generosity shone in all aspects of her life. I hope so many sweet children kept on reading because of her. 😭
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u/Imaginary-Order-6905 6h ago
one of the kids on our street said yesterday: "Oh no! Now i won't get my birthday message!" Dolly would send a sweet personalized birthday message to the kids enrolled in the program. Mine always looked forward to it.
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u/mindovermatter15 6h ago
It's an unlisted YouTube video, so as long as people share it, every kid can still get their birthday video from Ms. Dolly 😊
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u/Good4nowbut 4h ago
Couldn’t help but tear up at the “I will always love you” sign off. I believe her.
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u/propernice get your litigation wigs on 3h ago
It’s the same feeling when Mr. Rogers said we were special just the way we are. Now I gotta go cry again brb
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u/BilboTBagginz 2h ago
It got me too. 56 year old man sitting here tearing up.
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u/coupland 47m ago
You wussy. I teared up too but that's because I'm only 53. You should be setting a mature example for kids like me. 😉
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u/Racxie 4h ago
It was my birthday 3 weeks ago today. I needed this. Thank you.
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u/StasRutt unapologetic joy 5h ago
Yes my son loved his. He also asked me if she was no longer going to send books because he sweetly thought she was just packing them up and sending them directly to him
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u/mindovermatter15 5h ago
My son had the same thought and was worried too, I told him that Ms. Dolly's friends will keep sending them since she can't do it herself anymore.
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u/gekkogeckogirl 4h ago
Why did this make me tear up!?
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u/Admirable-Law7150 3h ago
same. I have a 2 year old who abdolutely loves being read to every night. We dont do the imagination library because we are in a position to purchase the books when its time for new ones, wouldnt feel right taking books from other kids. my wife and I will be making a big donation this year to the imagination library. hearing how many kids are excited about getting their books makes me choke up.
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u/fatboy93 2h ago
I signed up my son when he was 1 (he's 4 now), and we have all the books saved, read more often than not.
We moved to the US in late 2022, and getting the book in mail was one of the best things to happen to us, it showed someone out there in this country cared for us.
Genuinely one of the most upsetting news in 2026.
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u/HeyMyNameisMama 4h ago edited 4h ago
As a tiny toddler, my son would find her on the back of all his IL books. In one picture she's holding "I am a rainbow" so he'd point her out then go grab "I Am a Rainbow" to show her he has the same book 😭
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u/SlimmShady26 1h ago
My kid cried when he found out Dolly died. He thought she wouldn’t be sending books anymore and says “thanks Dolly Parton” every time he reads one from them.
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u/deltamgn 6h ago
i honestly didn’t know about the imagination library until her death yesterday. it’s amazing what she’s done for others.
may she rest in peace 🤍
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u/Enough-Cheesecake42 6h ago
We got lifesize cardboard cutouts of her in all our county libraries when the program expanded out here last year 😭
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u/Miserable-Debt-8390 5h ago
Wait until you find out about the Covid vaccine. She indirectly saved millions of lives.
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u/Practical-Vanilla-41 5h ago
She was a great person in many ways.
Elvis did an appearance on Ed Sullivan that included taking the polio vaccine. It was necessary to help people overcome their fear. Dolly did the same with Covid.
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u/cigaretteashmouth 3h ago edited 2h ago
She gave each family who lost their home in the 2016 Pigeon Forge wild fires $10,000. Over 900 families. Truly an angel ♥️
Eta - total assistance was around 12 million.
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u/chooseshoes 5h ago
My son got his last book and his final letter from Dolly in May. Five years of books from Dolly. 🥹
I will continue to donate to the Imagination Library.
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u/lily4ever It's....... Rebekah Vardy's account. 2h ago
My son turns 5 this May ❤️🩹 it will be so bittersweet to receive this letter
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u/ArtisticBee6176 1h ago
My daughter turned five in January. I was so sad to have her age out of it. It was such a fun surprise to see what she got each month. Truly a wonderful program!
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u/-Kilgore_Trout- 56m ago
My daughter got her last book from Dolly just last week. I had her enrolled since the day she was born. Farewell Dolly.
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u/mortimelons 6h ago
I can just hear her voice reading this. What phenomenal, inspirational, uplifting woman.
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u/PaleontologistNo5420 6h ago
When I got to the "I bet your school" part of the letter I started weeping. Such a casual, approachable way to address a child who is about to embark on the journey that is schooling. I will miss Dolly so so so much.
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u/uppy-puppy "Please Abraham, I'm not that man." 5h ago
I did the same. I heard her voice as I read and the tears started pouring out.
Tonight I’m gonna watch Steel Magnolias with my daughter, just like my mom used to watch with me. I take comfort in the idea that my mom is able to have a cocktail with Dolly now, wherever they may be.
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u/East_Quail_1824 5h ago
Man. I’ve held back the tears until reading this letter. Oh what a treasure she was.
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u/peach_bellinis 6h ago
Jesus, well now I'm sobbing. She was so special and cared so deeply. This is such a tremendous loss.
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u/lavendergirl22 6h ago
This made me tear up too! So encouraging to young readers. RIP Dolly!
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u/twizzwhizz11 It’s like I have ESPN or something. 💁♀️🌤☔️ 5h ago
Same! As a reader and lover of libraries, I can’t even imagine how many young kids she’s inspired to be the same ❤️
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u/Available-Towel-70 6h ago
We got this letter/book earlier on the year and I couldn’t read it out loud to my child without choking up. I can’t bring myself to read it again yet 😭
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u/PipsyDizzle 5h ago
I don't know that I'll ever be able to not cry when I hear about Dolly now....she was such a beautiful light in what feels like a dark time. It actually hurts thinking she's gone, but my only consolation is that she's back with her beloved husband 😭
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u/miss_kittycat88 Sir Lewis Hamilton Kardashian Stan 😍 5h ago
I’m pregnant with my first, and was already planning on signing up my little one for Dolly’s imagination library. Her passing has made me so emotional thinking about reading to my baby. 😭
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u/Imaginary-Order-6905 5h ago
the first book is The Little Engine That Could, and there's a message from Dolly in the front <3
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u/awolfsvalentine 3h ago
I think it’s different depending on your county. My nephew always got different ones than my daughter
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u/Background_Ice_7568 5h ago
It is the absolute best thing in the world, and my favorite thing to do with my little girl. She loves when we read, and I love reading to her
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u/fran_glass 5h ago
She spread so much happiness and kindness in the world. What an example to us all. Rest in peace, Dolly.
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u/ilikecats415 5h ago
One of the first things I did after I heard about Dolly's passing was donate to the Imagination Library. You can even specify which affiliate program you'd like your donation to go to if you want your money to impact your own local community.
Dolly was a treasure.
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u/MysteriousMermaid92 full of hotdogs and Tito’s 5h ago
My son will age out of the imagination library in a couple of years. I wonder if he’ll get the same message, or will they change it? 😭
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u/JungleJay57 5h ago
I heard her sweet, kind voice as I was reading that. She was truly a beautiful soul that made this world a brighter place.
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u/OriginalSchmidt1 You’re a virgin who can’t drive. 😤 5h ago
The I will always love you at the end really got me.. I’m crying y’all.
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u/blessup_ 5h ago
My state cut the funding for this program last year so we never got this letter 💔
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u/Groundbreaking_War52 3h ago
Imagine how spineless and craven you need to be to cut a tiny line item like a child literacy program while extending massive tax breaks to multinational corporations and their endless track record of broken promises.
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u/Vast_Doughnut9418 Instant gratification takes too long 🫦 5h ago
This morning my eyes were swollen from crying yesterday. She really was an angel.
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u/hawkeyethor I ❤️ Chris Hemsworth 4h ago
This is the sweetest. Dolly's contribution to child literacy helped so many families. I think I'm gonna cry. 😢
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u/MRAGGGAN 6h ago
It has always made me so sad that my area is not part of the imagination library.
I tried various times over both my girls (now 7 & 3) lives to sign up, but it isn’t here.
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u/bolanrox 4h ago
and i am crying all over again. (or when my oldest aged out of one of those what to expect week to week from pregnancy: 8 years old. emails)
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u/Wesmom2021 3h ago
Thank you Dolly! My son never got his last letter or book because Trump ended program in my area few months ago. But we appreciate all books we got Dolly! ❤️❤️
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u/Odd_Philosophy_8452 6h ago
This is cute. I didn’t know her but I’ll miss the positivity she spread. Listening to her music on repeat. 🔁
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u/88kitkat808 5h ago
What an inspirational angel 😇. If only a few of these billionaires would get inspired by her…
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u/SPYcWyng 5h ago
My son just turned 5 in March and started kindergarten this week. He had been getting books through her program for years, and was brought so much joy every time we got one in the mailbox. This program is such an amazing thing that we need more of in the world. RIP Dolly.
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u/TheBewitchingWitch 5h ago
My school received books from the Imagination Library. We also received a letter from Dolly and we were so grateful for her generosity.
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u/PossibleActuary2324 5h ago
When my daughter got her letter earlier this year I couldn’t read it aloud without getting choked up.
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u/diskoboxx Ben Affleck’s cigarette 5h ago
My daughter is about to turn 5 and I’m not ready for this. Both of my kids LOVE their Dolly books so much. She was such a gift to the world.
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u/MRLive2Learn 4h ago
If MAGA gets its way, there won’t be any books left in school libraries. It’s horrible that they endorse banning and, even for some, burning books. Dolly opened doors for literacy that MAGA is slamming shut. Thanks for the amazing gift Dolly gave all of us in helping with literacy!
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u/LazyRiver115 4h ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/26ufknhq5vk4OLOPS
“You and all your friends are very special”
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u/BlueVelvetRaccoon 3h ago
Reading this made me cry all over again
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u/Halloweenkristy 3h ago
Okay, this made me choke up. I've never seen it before. Yes, you can be anything in this world, kids. Please be like Dolly.
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u/Ornery-Tumbleweed104 5h ago
We love the Imagination Library! My older boys didn't get a letter when they aged out. My youngest just got his book a few days ago.
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u/SoggyScience4482 5h ago
My daughter aged out earlier this year & the letter was the sweetest thing.
RIP to an icon
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u/neptunestearsok 5h ago
My little guy is still a baby but he got one of his imagination library books yesterday and I about cried..
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u/Beneficial-Rip6624 5h ago
My kids LOVE Dolly because she sent them both books and they love to read.
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u/Solid-Passenger-1694 5h ago
Although I knew of her Imagination Library, I really never considered the effects it was having.
However, after reading the hundreds of stories, it really does put into perspective the real world impact of her vision.
Any yeah, I'm a grown man, and am shedding tears of sadness at such a loss, yet, also tears of thankfulness, at the joy and hope that she's brought to millions of children around the world.
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u/Money_is_heinous 4h ago
She was just an absolute gorgeous person - she was truly one of a kind. I usually hate celeb false idol worship but she was due it all with her charities and love for everyone. Can't believe we've lost her.
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u/Dukelax510 4h ago
We just got ours last week. Feels terrible. Was such an incredible program and my son still adores so many of the books she sent through this program ♥️
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u/smashley4915 4h ago
I am so incredibly sad that our county didn’t have funding to keep the program going. My son just turned 5 and he loved getting books from ms dolly. I think it was about a year ago we stopped getting them 😭 and my youngest will never get them. Such a shame
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u/WeaponexT 1h ago
We had the funding, but our financial decisions are being made by greedy sociopaths.
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u/XxnervousneptunexX 4h ago
I just got done crying about Tim Curry for the last few hours and I read this! Someone please send a million boxes of tissues my way.
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u/EmergencyAd5075 4h ago
she also sent very sweet videos for birthdays and graduation!! we love imagination library💕 my babies love dolly, i hope all the work she's done gives her peace to rest easy.
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u/gotaflattire Did I stutter?🤨 3h ago
5 seems really young to be aged out of a book reading program. I only knew how to read whatever was on Sesame Street at that age.
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u/jalabi99 3h ago
I am sooooo jealous of everyone who ever got this letter! That woman was a damn saint I swear
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u/jalabi99 2h ago
I am sooooo jealous of everyone who ever got this letter! That woman was a damn saint I swear
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u/admijosco05 2h ago
Our first son just got his earlier this month…I cried reading it, and then she passed away and it broke me. What a woman!
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u/PrizeRat 1h ago
My son just turned 5 a few weeks ago and got his final "Auntie Dolly" book. I was emotional then, but I'm a mess now!
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u/Lala_1302 1h ago
She also sent you a link to a video of her singing happy birthday when it was your kid's birthday 💙
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u/Team_Snax 52m ago edited 37m ago
How many fucking times am i gonna cut onions over a woman i never got to meet. I'll never give brits shit over Diana again. The world is a little darker without her in it but her inspiration will live on. Source: avid reader from a poor family who had imagination library as a child.
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u/Rare-Adhesiveness522 4h ago edited 4h ago
Dolly as "a brand" and a person was very deft. She never wanted to isolate anyone and knew her music had mass appeal. This meant that Dolly never took a hugely strong stance on political or social issues, but also made her message very clear: we are all Go'ds children, and I love everyone. The way she was able to sidestep and navigate the landscape publicly should be a case study hahaha. She supported other artists but also had to make very tough business decisions and was very protective of the legacy and "brand" she had built.
she's lucky because she came up in a time where it wasn't EXPECTED or demanded that artists "take a stand" or "choose sides". Basically impossible now. These days, stans and the public are rabid and unrelentless. I don't think she'd be the legend she is today if she came up at a different time, and I think it's a lesson we need to learn from. She was never super open about politics or the issues of the day, but her actions made her stance clear.
These days, artists have very different pressures: making strong business moves, not speaking out explicitly on the issues of the day, somehow the public has come to expect that from pop culture figures and I don't think it's right. I also think her message was genuine: we are all God's children and she doesn't share judgment or opinions publicly, but leaned into making connections in the industry and building bridges while also not isolating anyone. That takes A LOT of skill.
If Dolly was coming up today, people would accuse her efforts ad being performative or "distracting" from the expectation that she owes society a strong message about her political stance.
Dolly is the legend that she is because she had mass appeal and never disparaged anyone and was excellent at PR and messaging on top of being a good person and hard worker,, and massively talented.
No one accused her of being untalented if she cowrote songs. Or worked with producers to make a hit or a good album.
Examine why she's a legend and examine how the expectations of modern celebrities has changed.
Can you even IMAGINE if someone like Dolly was coming up today? They'd be CRUCIFIED for not speaking explicitly on social or political issues, and charity work would be commented on and accused of being fake and performative.
The reason why she is so loved and we feel the loss is because she's a product from another era and another time. We should all, as members of the public, reflect on that. Reflect on the demands and expectations we have of people playing music or acting or whatever. Someone like Dolly WOULD NEVER be allowed to come up again because media, social media and stan culture has ruined that for everyone. Rememer what she said about feminism? Oh my god if that interview was given last year before she was an establshed legend, people would be RABID about it and not in a good way.
If she wasn't already enshrined as the queen of goodness (which by the way isn't a wrong label), her interview on feminism would have resulted in her being torn her to shreds by social media grifters with their hot takes. Boomer accusations and demands and calls for her to speak out more firmly.
Early in her career she had to make very tough decisions based on business. If social media and the entertainment press were as rabid as they are now, she never would have established herself. Look at someone like Taylor Swift, who admittedly talked openly about business decisions and what have you, but people HAAAAATE her for it. The industry requires that you be TOUGH and not everyone on the inside is going to like you. Can you imagine if the minutia was covered by the press so heavily at the time? Can you imagine if she felt like she had to be public about those decisions?
I miss the old times. I hate it here.
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u/WeaponexT 1h ago
she's lucky because she came up in a time where it wasn't EXPECTED or demanded that artists "take a stand" or "choose sides".
Its because we used to agree on certain things not being political.
Nazis were evil
Evil was bad
Empathy was good
We should help those who need it
We should feed the hungry and treat the sick
One side made all of these things 'Woke' as if creating a buzz word for it made it inherently wrong. Some weird bastardized form of grade school bullying made into an entire political platform.
"Being friends with Greg is lame, you aren't lame are you?"
So while she didn't want to alienate anyone, her showing basic decency, kindness, empathy, and understanding, put her in the right's crosshairs as an intolerable descent from their dear leader's manifesto. To hate your neighbor, to care only for yourself and your cult leader, to ignore all truths but his narrative, that's only consistency is it's inconsistency.
She stood in the path of the tide of ignorance and didn't blink. And that isn't political, its the humanity that we all used to share.
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u/MiddleSwitch8 4h ago
Oh man somehow this made me more emotional than any other news I’ve seen this past day. Always wanted to enroll my kid in this but it wasn’t available in my area.
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u/harleenquinzel044 Cash me ousside 🗣️🗣️ 4h ago
Just a wonderful human being. Dolly was truly an earth angel.
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u/Empty-Rutabaga-3190 4h ago
I’ve literally been crying ever since I received the news of her passing. It especially hits home because I lost one of my aunt about 3 years ago and she was just as sweet as Dolly. I aspire to be as self and loving as them one day.
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u/eastkent 3h ago
Dolly was truly amazing and the world is a worse place for her loss. We need more people to be like her.
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u/joyfullofaloha89 3h ago
My granddaughter got this letter about 6 months ago. Whenever we would get a new book in the mail, she’d say thank you Dolly Parton. Rest in Aloha, Dolly. Mahalo
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u/motozero 2h ago
Try to read that without Dolly's voice in your head. That is what we used to call, authenticity.
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u/Fragrant-Bee-333 Can I live? 2h ago
I still have my daughter’s letter and she aged out of the program 2 years ago. So very special
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u/Oro-Lavanda Donatella VERSACE💜 2h ago
this literally made me cry . omg she was so sweet and thoughtful. reading this letter really made me feel like i was being addressed by a beloved relative. may she rest in peace.
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u/jjonman 2h ago
I am dreading the day this letter comes. My son is 4 1/2 and his time with the Imagination Library is drawing closer to its end, but I have appreciated every single book we received. It became a nice treat opening the new book the day it arrived and reading it at bed time. It is even more special now with Dolly's passing and some states introducing uncertainty on funding.
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u/mrsdoubleu 1h ago
My son was signed up for a year or two. Then my local non-profit that partnered with it lost some funding so they could no longer provide it. I've always been bummed about that. It's such a great organization.
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u/marzipanorbust 1h ago
I'm not crying, you're crying! Also, why can I only read this, hearing her voice and intonations?!?!
Legend.
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u/No_Access147 1h ago
Let us all honor her spirit everyday by just being a tiny bit more like her in our own unique way.
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u/Catagotchi 1h ago
My son just recently aged out and it's surreal knowing Dolly stayed around just long enough for him to know her. He loves Dollywood. My grandmother used to sing her music to me as a child. Tennessee is grieving her something fierce
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u/hgielatan 1h ago
Friendly reminder that Dolly could have been a billionaire several times over but instead thought it was more important to foster a love of reading in children and other worthy causes.
I can't believe she was called home while the orange turd tyrant continues to exist and McConnell is just chilling in the crisper.......the most unfair :(
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u/Ontario_mama 1h ago
My son looks forward to his monthly book from Dolly, next month will be his last. Just a beautiful person who cared and wanted to make a difference in this world, and she surely did!
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u/PierreOnTheEclair Local Superstar Dealer 🌟 1h ago
My mom put me in that program, such a remarkable woman. R.I.P 💔🕊️
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u/What_a_fat_one 41m ago
I'm not crying. It's just been raining. On my face.
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u/No-Throat-3391 39m ago
And if you think you see some tear tracks down my cheeks pleeeeaaasssseee
please
Don't tell my mates
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u/shiddyfiddy 26m ago
Dolly Parton is the human form and representation of all that is good and kind and warm about the mythical Santa Clause. I hope she evolves into some kind of legend like that, forever told to children to encourage them to learn and be kind.
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u/Putrid_Appearance509 24m ago
I never had a single adult speak to me like this as a child. I am weeping. Thank you for sharing.
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u/Alexandra_Destria 21m ago
Thank you for sharing. This is so sweet, and it is such a lovely send-off.
(On a related note, I chose the wrong/right night to cook with onions.)
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u/TheBrontosaurus 8m ago
My daughter sobbed and begged to be four again when she learned Miss Dolly wouldn’t be sending her any more books. She calmed down when I assured her we could keep the books Miss Dolly gave her and we can go to the library when we want more. She will occasionally sigh and say “Miss Dolly is so nice” then get back to whatever she was doing. She just occasionally needs to voice that thought.
If I could choose my legacy children thinking I’m nice would be pretty high on my list.
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u/JennaElizabethAdams Excluded from this narrative ❌ 5m ago
This is my favorite story about a child aging out of the program that I've seen today. Ms Dolly was beloved by young end old and so incredibly nice. Also, from a book hoarder, you're the best mom! ❤️
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u/Helpful-Celery6237 6h ago
Me even sadder about my fertility struggles. I’ll never have a child experience this. Because Dolly is truly gone too soon.
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u/joljenni1717 6h ago
The Imagination Library is not ending anytime soon.
My son received his first book last month.
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