Tennessee Family Recalls The Christmas Eve Dolly Parton Unexpectedly Welcomed Them Into Her Home
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A Tennessee family’s life was changed one Christmas Eve when they were unexpectedly invited to spend the holiday with none other than Dolly Parton.
The incredible moment happened more than 30 years ago to Tony and Terry Richardson and their two kids, Walter and Holland. It was their first winter back home in Middle Tennessee’s Williamson County.
The Richardsons told NewsChannel 5 that the day was supposed to be like any other Christmas Eve. They planned to get in the car and drive around looking at Christmas lights.
That night, they ended up driving past Dolly’s home in Brentwood. They noticed that the home’s privacy gate was open, so they pulled into the long driveway.
“I looked at [Terry] and I said, ‘What do you think?'” Tony recalls. “She said, ‘What do you mean, what do you think?’ I said, ‘Do you think we should go up there?’
At first, they hesitated to go any further, but the kids insisted they should at least try and see what happened.
“I felt like I was begging and pleading,” Holland told the news channel.
They took their chances and drove up to the house. As soon as they did, they saw someone standing outside. It was Dolly’s brother, Randy.
To the Richardsons’ surprise, Randy didn’t ask them to leave. Instead, he said they could come inside to meet the family. They were completely caught off guard by the invitation, but just like anyone who could dream of being in a moment like this, they accepted.
“And then I look up — and down this long, really long dark hall comes Dolly,” Terry said.
“She just looked like a dream. That’s the only way I could describe it,” added Holland.
Right away, Dolly treated them as if they had known each other for years.
She says, ‘Well, y’all just come on in,'” Terry remembers. “‘Look at all this food we’ve got. Sit down and eat with me.'”
To remember the unbelievable moment, Dolly posed for a photo with the Richardsons, and later mailed them a copy.
The country legend even gave the kids a Christmas gift before they left. Holland and Walter walked away with a copy of her Coat of Many Colors book and cassette.
“She was herself through and through. Even on Christmas Eve when she could have been rude,” Holland said.
Walter added that the memories of that day have “made a big impact on my life. Just seeing the depth of kindness she had.”
You can listen to the Richardson family tell the story of their unforgettable Christmas Eve with Dolly Parton below.
Anyone who followed Dolly’s life and career knew that spreading kindness was one of her biggest missions in life. Her inviting strangers into her home on Christmas Eve is just one of the many times she proved it.
Even though she has passed away, Dolly’s generosity continues to change lives around the world. Her Imagination Library, for example, will keep making a difference for millions of children for years to come.
She founded the organization in 1995, and since then, it has provided more than 330 million free books to kids from birth through age 5.
If you’d like to spread kindness like Dolly, you can donate to the Imagination Library by visting its official website here.
