RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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When I heard that Dolly Parton had died on Tuesday, my first thought wasn't about her music. It was about a child opening a book.
For the past four years, I've had the privilege of managing Parton's Imagination Library in Cincinnati. The book-gifting program, part of the nonprofit Dollywood Foundation, mails free, high-quality books to children across the country and around the world once a month from birth to age 5.
I work for Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, which partners with Imagination Library to bring the program to kids throughout Hamilton County. As the program manager, my role is to connect with families and community partners, promote enrollment, educate on the importance of early childhood literacy, and ultimately make sure children have access to the free books.
Parton's vision has put millions of books into children's hands. And though I didn't work directly with the icon day-to-day, I've had a front-row seat to witness the impact of her philanthropy in Cincinnati.
I've seen the excitement on a child's face when they receive a book with their name on it. I've heard parents talk about how the monthly book gives their kids something to look forward to. I've watched community partners, libraries, healthcare organizations and volunteers come together around a simple but powerful mission.
And I've realized that Parton's greatest lesson was believing that one person can make a difference.
Inspired in part by her father's inability to read and write, Parton started the Imagination Library in 1995 in her home county in East Tennessee. Her goal was simple: Give children books and help them develop a lifelong love of reading, regardless of their family's income.
It's easy to look at the world's problems and feel overwhelmed . Childhood literacy. Educational inequities. Poverty. Homelessness. The problems can feel so big that we convince ourselves there's nothing one person can do. And sometimes, that feeling keeps us from doing anything at all.
Parton showed us another way: Find something you care deeply about, figure out how you can help, and keep showing up.
The Imagination Library is a perfect example. A single book may not solve a complicated social problem. But imagine receiving a new book every single month, having a parent sit beside you and read, and learning that books can belong to you. Those moments add up, and they can change the trajectory of a child's life.
Parton understood that generosity doesn't have to be complicated to be meaningful. She also understood that the best work often begins with empathy, seeing a need and taking it upon yourself to address it because you remember what it felt like to experience it yourself.
Her legacy reminds me that success should be measured not only by what we accomplish for ourselves but also by what we make possible for others.
What Parton taught me extends far beyond the Imagination Library. Her example reminds me that small acts of kindness, repeated over time, can add up to something much bigger than the grandest gesture.
I'll remember that when I'm supporting a colleague, trying to be a better friend , and continuing my work as a children's book author and literacy nonprofit leader who shares Parton's passion.
I'll keep putting books into children's hands. I'll keep reminding parents that reading with their children matters. I'll keep advocating for literacy, especially for children and families who face barriers accessing books. And I'll keep looking for ways to make literacy feel like a joyful opportunity to dream .
Because beyond books, that may be Dolly Parton's greatest gift to these kids. She gave them possibilities. And every time a child opens one of those books, her legacy gets another chapter.
Kristy High serves as a literacy program manager and senior community engagement specialist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. A passionate advocate for early childhood literacy, High manages the Imagination Library in Cincinnati, promoting language development and a lifelong love of reading. High is also a children's book author, creating engaging, health-focused stories that help children feel seen and heard.
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