The Parton family has endured more heartbreak than most people realize. In recent years, the family has mourned the loss of three siblings, while Dolly Parton also faced the devastating death of her husband, Carl Dean, in 2025. But according to Dolly’s younger sister, Stella Parton, there’s one thing that’s helped them get through the darkest moments:
In an exclusive interview with People, Stella said that she and Dolly have always followed the same philosophy they learned growing up in rural Tennessee: “Laugh your way through it.”
The sisters talk regularly during what Stella affectionately calls their early morning “kaffeeklatsch” sessions, where they share stories, memories, and plenty of jokes. Even when life gets painful, Stella says humor has become their way of keeping grief from taking over.
“Life is hard,” Stella explained, adding that she and Dolly inherited their resilience from their mother, Avie Lee, who taught her children to keep a childlike spirit no matter how old they became. That mindset has helped the Partons navigate years of personal loss while remaining optimistic about the future.
For Stella, the grief became so overwhelming that she stepped away from music for seven years.
The deaths of brothers Floyd, Randy, and David left her struggling to write or perform. But recently, she found her way back with a new rendition of Stand by Me, saying music once again became a source of healing and hope.
Dolly, meanwhile, has built an entire career around resilience.
The country icon, who turns 80 next year, recently summed up her philosophy with a classic Dolly line:
“I ain’t got time to get old!”
And perhaps that’s the secret behind the Parton sisters’ enduring bond.
They’ve faced loss.
They’ve faced grief.
But through it all, they’ve kept laughing.
Because sometimes, the strongest people aren’t the ones who never cry.
They’re the ones who somehow find a reason to smile again.
