Dollywood Holds a Secret about YOUR Magical Journey…
Have you ever been to Dollywood?? It’s a magical place…
and it holds a secret about YOUR magical journey too…
I visited Dollywood for the first time a few weeks ago, and the thing I was most excited about was FINALLY seeing the replica of the home where Dolly Parton grew up in the Tennessee Smokey Mountains!
Even if you aren’t a Dolly fan, I suspect you’ve heard her songs and know that she came from very humble beginnings. Still… seeing the replica of her childhood home was… well… shocking!!
Why?
Because…
It was TINY!! Two small rooms… a kitchen… a bedroom… and that is it!
The walls were boards with newspaper and wallpaper covering them (not much to keep out the cold)
There was no electricity or running water
There are a few toys and a couple of beds that were shared by 11 children
As I walked through the little cabin (ummm… maybe 20 steps) I tried to imagine Dolly at 5, 8, and 13 years old. I found myself thinking “If only she could have known how her journey would unfold, she could have relaxed. Not been so stresses. Been happier.”
But that was looking at her world though my eyes.
If you’ve heard her songs and read about her life, you know that she wouldn’t change a thing. Because (in her words) “they were rich in things that money couldn’t buy, like love, kindness and understanding”.
And you know what? Changing her beginning would have changed her story.
Knowing all of the twists and turns of the fabulous things to come would have removed the magic. She would have missed out on soooo many lessons. And the challenges that shaped the love in that tiny home would have been different too.
The same thing is true for me. And for you too.
Because the magic, the thrill, and the joy in our lives happen because we DON’T know how the journey will unfold!!
