Today, as we all tumble out of bed and pour ourselves a cup of ambition, we also set out to live life in a way that would make Dolly Parton proud.

 Parton is known for songs like “9 to 5” — a song we reference today on 9-2-5 — and “I Will Always Love You,” which Whitney Houston covered to global acclaim. She was enormously successful not only as a singer, but also as a songwriter and actress. She was beloved not just for her talent, but for how she made people feel, how she connected with people from every community and background. She empowered people through both her music and her philanthropy, using her voice and resources to support communities while expecting nothing in return.

 Dolly was one of 12 children from a poor family in Appalachia, and used to pray for success so she would have “enough to share and enough to spare.” Her philanthropy, although never flashy or flaunted, was remarkable in its diversity, thoughtfulness, and sheer quantity. She gave back to the region she grew up in, establishing college scholarship programs and paying for band uniforms and instruments at her alma mater and in underserved Black high schools across Tennessee. When wildfires and other disasters hit the state, she offered impacted families long-term, no-strings-attached funding that helped them get back on their feet.

 She spoke up for marginalized and targeted communities, not for thanks or attention, but because it was the right thing to do. She funded clinics and organizations fighting HIV/AIDS, she invested in Black communities and businesses, and of course, created the Imagination Library, an early literacy program that mails free books to registered children from birth to age 5. California proudly partners with the Imagination Library, and was among the first states to offer a bilingual option.

 Dolly Parton was larger than life. She gave freely and happily, and brought joy and humor into our lives. She took her work seriously, but she never took herself too seriously — and was never afraid to stand out. So today, during California’s inaugural Dolly Parton Day, let us honor her by being just a bit kinder, a bit more generous, and a bit more fun.