Dear friends,
I was six when “9 to 5” came out in theaters. The jokes and message of the movie may have flown right over my head, but I sure did love the music. If fact I loved everything about Dolly Parton. And over the years, Dolly just kept giving me more and more reasons to love her.
On the second day of my daughter’s life, I was reading her board books in the hospital. A nurse stopped by and told me about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library: a new book mailed to Sadie every month until she turns five. I immediately signed her up.
We are coming up on her fifth birthday in a few months, and I will be sad not to see what special book arrives in our mailbox… books on animals and grandparents, ice cream and robots, compassion and curiosity.
As a parent, I owe so much to Dolly. Through her books, she has helped build Sadie's imagination, develop empathy, and encourage learning. Plus, think about how many children’s authors and illustrators she lifted up by using their stories! Together, they reach more than 3.2 million kids every month in five countries and have given more than 332 million books away. All for free.
I meet a lot of philanthropists in my work, obviously, generous people who want nothing more than to provide opportunity to their neighbors and aid to those in need. I believe Dolly is their patron saint. She knew that giving money away wasn’t making her poorer; it was making the world she lived in richer.
Thank you, Dolly, for the example you set as a woman, actor, musician, humanitarian and human being. You will be forever missed and loved.
In gratitude,
Jenni Gaisbauer
Image: On her 10-minute commute to school this week, Sadie has been infatuated with the new-to-her "American Girl" book gifted to her by her big girl friend Harper.