The initial dust has settled after the passing of a person who was obviously one of the most beloved figures of our generation. The outpouring of stories and music and clips remembering Dolly Parton was stunning. I’ll bet she had no idea that she was such a monumental testimony to the impact of kindness, compassion and putting money into helping others. No idea at all.

On the day of her death I spent a five-hour airport layover reading all the tributes and eulogies, and yes, crying for sure. They were all so moving. But several of the lessons she modeled just by living her life on her own terms stood out, and here they are.

The first big lesson Dolly taught us was to remember that we can become enormously successful without becoming too important to remember where we came from. She was proud of her Tennessee roots and gave back every chance she could to help make life better for her neighbors.

Dolly always stayed true to the person she was before the world started paying attention.

She showed us that kindness is not weakness.  Her kindnesses (both personal, professional and philanthropic) were legend. And all true.

I was astonished at how much of her wealth she gave away to help make life better for others. She truly showed us that generosity is actually a form of wealth. More rich people need to learn that lesson.

Dolly wasn’t afraid to work hard yet still laugh at herself. The very essence of being human.

I don’t usually cry at the passing of public figures but I cried about her loss. She was the best of us, no doubt about it. And she left us with a mission.  Here it is:

Be like Dolly.