“Love is like a butterfly, as soft and gentle as a sigh…” begins Dolly Parton’s song Love Is Like a Butterfly. The song was released on this day—August 31—in 1974 and became a number one hit on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. From chasing butterflies in the Great Smoky Mountain woods around her Tennessee home as a girl to developing a universally recognized brand, sweet Dolly and her soft butterfly grew to be a powerhouse. Upon her passing one week ago, the world collectively mourned and paid tribute with kind words and butterfly emojis to a warm, generous and talented woman who shared her light and love. In her 2020 book, Dolly Parton, Storyteller: My Life in Lyrics, Dolly wrote about her affinity for butterflies: “I used to get lost in the woods chasing them. I was not afraid of them because they were so gentle. I knew they weren’t going to bite me or sting me. They were beautiful and colorful, and they were doing something, being productive and being harmless.” When talking about the inspiration for her song, Dolly said, “They’re just beautiful and free. That’s how I thought love should be.” And when speaking about herself, Dolly shared, “…I just kind of related to them with my own personality. I wasn’t out to hurt anybody…” Dolly Parton was always self-aware and a kindred spirit to her chosen symbol. Both are beautifully enshrined in the ending of her song, “Love is like a butterfly, a rare and gentle thing.”