While we are all thinking about—and talking about—the late, great Dolly Parton it seems like the right time to remember the word the guided Dolly’s life: the word ‘forgiveness.’
The word comes from the verb ‘to forgive’ which has been part of the English language for more than a thousand words, since the days of Old English.
‘Forgive’ is a development of the verb ‘to give’—in other words, ‘forgiveness’ is a gift that one person gives to another.
Importantly, it is a free gift, willingly given.
It means (as you know) giving the gift of pardon to someone, and that means ceasing to harbour resentment or anger against that person.
At a key point in her life Dolly Parton famously said, ‘Forgiveness—that’s all there is.’
The story behind what we might call ‘Dolly’s word’ is a big one.
She was discovered by a major American country music star named Porter Wagoner.
He hired her to tour with him from the late 1960s to the early 70s.
In 1967 he introduced her to his television audience.
Wagoner made her a star.
He took a chance on her, introduced her to an enormous audience, stood by her.
But then when she left his show and became a solo star, he resented her bitterly.
Porter Wagoner sued Dolly Parton for $1 million and trash-talked her for years.
And then, a few years later, when she was a superstar and he had fallen on hard times, she bought his music-publishing company from his creditors and gave it back to him.
She helped him financially and reconciled with him and was there at his deathbed to remind him that the words she sang to him years before (‘I Will Always Love You’) were still true.
When an astonished interviewer asked her why she did this, Dolly Parton said, ‘Forgiveness—that’s all there is.’
It is a powerful single word.
‘Forgiveness’ gives to both parties.
To the guilty person it gives pardon and an end to guilt.
To the person offering forgiveness it gives the gift of freedom from bitterness and resentment.
That’s the best Dolly Parton story I know—and a great word for today: ‘forgiveness.’
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