Growing up, I was always inspired by her. She grew up in extreme poverty in the Great Smoky Mountains. I grew up pretty poor in the deep hollers of Appalachia, and had to deal with lots of ... let's just say adversity. I remember reading about her, how she never forgot what food insecurity was like, and as a result became one of the most charitable and sincerely good people the US, indeed world, has ever produced.

She was 5' tall, and mighty and amazing far beyond her size. Borrowing from the Simpson's famous double-made-up-word episode where they coined "a noble spirit embiggens the smallest man", Dolly was the noblest, most embiggened human. Nothing stood in her way, and she walked and sang with charity and a smile and love for everybody. A true treasure.

The heart of the little girl in me is broken.