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That goodness stretched from Parton’s Imagination Library, which provided hundreds of millions of books to children, to her support for LGBTQ+ and Black communities, to how she carried herself, to her philosophies on life and the cards it dealt her. Oftentimes, we value women by our reproductive systems. Society will say that motherhood is where we show our worth, that a woman’s most virtuous achievement in life is giving birth. None of that is true, of course, but even in death, when Parton is being remembered for her vulnerable songwriting, unmatched artistry, impeccable comedic timing, and her many charitable contributions, we’re also talking about the fact that she had no biological children. It’s a conversation we wouldn’t be having if she were a man (case in point: we’re not talking about the late Tim Curry, who also passed this week, in the same way), which makes it unfair to a point, but I also think that Parton’s views on motherhood are important to excavate. She spoke about motherhood the same way she did life: with irreverent honesty, wit, wisdom, and humility.
