Christmas is a time for making memories. One of my favorite Christmas memories was spending Christmas Eve at my grandparents’ house. We would arrive at their house shortly after 5:30 p.m. Without fail the television would be turned to NBC Nightly News – even though no one was really watching. Tom Brokaw would be calmly reading the news in his signature South Dakotan accent. My grandmother would be preparing Christmas dinner in the kitchen. My grandfather would be bringing in firewood to burn in the fireplace. Christmas music would be playing in the background.
If the Christmases of my childhood had a smell and a sound - it would be the smell of a fire in that black Franklin fireplace and the sound of classic county Christmas songs playing softly in the background. Our family wore out those classic county Christmas cassettes and CDs. I remember hearing lots of artists like Randy Travis, George Strait, Alabama, Merle Haggard, and Willie Nelson, but the artist that I remember the most those Christmas Eve nights was Dolly Parton.
Dolly’s success as singer is well known - spanning decades and genres: county, bluegrass, gospel, and holiday music. Her top hits include: “I Will Always Love You,” “9 to 5,” “Islands in the Stream,” “Coat of Many Colors,” and “Jolene.” She’s released multiple Christmas albums, and her song “Hard Candy Christmas” is a staple of country Christmas music.
More than just a singer, Dolly is a philanthropist. In 1995, Dolly established the Imagination Library to promote literacy in her hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee. Her goal was to generate enthusiasm for reading among young people by sending age-appropriate titles directly to their homes. She wanted to make sure that all children had access to books, irrespective of their family's social or fiscal standing. The Imagination Library offers a wide variety of reading materials to choose from, allowing children to grow, learn, and expand their horizons.
Growing up in the mountains of East Tennessee, Dolly was exposed to the twin demons of poverty and illiteracy. Her father had never learned to read or write. Reading is a powerful tool. If you are reading this newspaper, you probably already understand its importance. Reading is a skill that opens the doors to success at school and in life. Exposing young children to books and reading is especially important. Multiple studies have shown that a child who cannot read at grade level by third grade is unlikely to ever catch up.
The Imagination Library has grown exponentially since its early days in the mountains of eastern Tennessee. Today the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library mails book across the English-speaking world, bestowing books to children under the age of five in the Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Every month over two million books are mailed to eagerly awaiting pre-school aged children. The Imagination Library has distributed over 200 million books since the program’s inception.
I signed my daughter up for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library shortly after she was born. In only a few weeks my daughter received her first book, the classic children’s book “The Little Train that Could.” She has received a new book every month since. We have made reading books part of our daily bedtime routine. If I’m honest, reading her books before bed is the best part of the day for both of us.
This Christmastime I hope you find time to make some good memories. Start a fire on a frigid winter’s night. Watch the soft glow of your Christmas tree lights. Play your favorite Christmas music. Enjoy a good book, especially if you have a child or grandchild to read it with.
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Keith Ball is a local attorney and a lifelong resident of the Friendly City.
