Dolly Parton – the country Dolly Lama

Dolly is real.  Her songs have basic words that say things to our hearts very simply and bluntly.  It works because her heart is singing and she writes from the truth of her own experience.  That truth is conveyed with her tone.  I believe that is why she resonates with everyone from drag queens to grandma.  Her one liners break you open and then somehow comfort you.   Her relatability enhanced with big hair, glitter and boobs – allows a great spiritual teacher to sing and dance in disguise.  America’s Dalai Lama – is our beloved Dolly Lama.

Dolly Lama swings a velvet covered brick!

Dolly shows us to not take ourselves so seriously, to create our own reality, and to love and laugh our way through life.  But Dolly can meet us snot nosed in the floor broken-hearted too.   She is a “have” now, but she still understands what it feels like to be a “have not.”   You can hear it in her voice and how she speaks and in what she does.  Of course, she noted this (asking for “change”) in her latest Christmas special, “Christmas on the Square.”  However, the one liner that got me, the one that sent me to the floor was in her song with the Regina Fuller character played by Christine Baranski.  In the movie, Regina’s father had taken her newborn baby away to be adopted.  Regina was reflecting on how her life had changed that day and the turmoil of emotions related to the event.  Dolly, as the Angel, sings a song (Rearview Mirror). This song is one of her velvet covered red bricks that she hits us in the head with.   I stopped the movie and rewound it – I had to hear that one liner again.  “What happened then is gone forever.”  

Oh no she didn’t!

Yes, that is what Dolly sang!  She actually put that line in the song!  My first thought was – you can’t say that to someone.  But, Dolly did, with her angelic glow and big hair.   I thought, what is Dolly thinking – to say that to someone’s intense pain – as if they are gonna get over it  – like snap.  But then it hit me – oh God Dolly – it’s the truth and you know it and I feel it in your tone.   There is literally no way to go back and it is gone forever.   Thank you for saying that.  For saying something the rest of us are afraid too, still fighting against, or haven’t fully realized yet.   It works when Dolly does it, you can swing the velvet brick when you been there and done that.   When you care enough to break someone wide open.  And they will break open – when they are ready.  They may just crack a little the first time…but that is why we have Dolly available for replay.    

Not accepting the past keeps us stuck reliving it – never grieving it – never letting go

So there I was – sitting on my couch.  The Dolly-Lama had visited and told me I couldn’t go back to the past – it was gone forever.  I felt anger, I felt frustration – I wanted to fix it.  If I couldn’t fix it – oh God – I had to grieve it…. So much grief was held back by not accepting the past.   But that was key to letting it go.   Once the situations were grieved, they moved.  Then there was some sadness to deal with, cause it was true – what happened was true and I couldn’t change it.   There was resentment, denial…. And then the velvet of acceptance.  I had carried so much for so long wanting to fix, adjust, change the past so it wasn’t true.  If I kept it partly there – my mind would play with it – trying to make it different somehow.  But thinking somehow unconsciously – that I could change it was the lie.  And guess what I was ok – and I was going to be ok.   And when I wasn’t reaching to the past, I could be more present and so the future could hold other things besides reliving the past. 

The Guru under the glitz!

We show up for the teachings of the Dolly-Lama.   Covered in rhinestones and glitter is a heart that tells us the truth – sings with knowing in plain ‘ol English – sending us the voice tones that heal with awareness. She hits us with a brick of truth and loves us back together.  

Related meditation; https://destinationonelove.com/the-beauty-of-nothing-lasting-forever/

Link to Dolly’s Christmas Special and website: https://dollyparton.com/life-and-career/dolly-partons-christmas-on-the-square-to-premiere-on-november-22/18086

Dolly’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/dollyparton

Dolly’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dollyparton/

2 Replies to “Dolly Parton – the country Dolly Lama”

  1. I love your insights . It strikes me that between you and Dolly, wisdom is coming full circle. I also love the velvet brick metaphor. Looking forward to reading your next posting!

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