08/25/2026
Today, the world lost Dolly Parton.
There will be plenty written about her music, her business empire, her generosity and the millions of books she put into the hands of children.
But there is another part of Dolly's legacy worth talking about: she planned for it.
Years ago, Dolly spoke publicly about getting her estate in order after seeing what happened when artists like Prince and Aretha Franklin died without adequate estate plans.
She didn't want to leave a mess for the people she loved. She didn't want her family left to fight over what she spent a lifetime building.
That's estate planning.
Most of us aren't leaving behind a music catalog, Dollywood, or a business empire. But we are leaving something behind. A home. A family. A business. Children or grandchildren. Things that matter to us. And hopefully, a legacy.
Dolly spent a lifetime building hers, and she understood the importance of deciding what would happen to it when she was gone.
Today isn't a day for a sales pitch. It's simply a good reminder from a woman who seemed to understand a whole lot about life:
Take care of the people you love while you're here, and make things a little easier for them when you're gone.
Rest in peace, Dolly. What a legacy.
