There's One Example Dolly Parton Set That We Shouldn't be Following

There are so many things about Dolly Parton I would love to emulate. Her kindness. Her wisdom. Her formidable talent. Her activism. Her commitment to improving literacy rates. Her quick wit.

But there's one example Parton set that I don't want to follow...and I don't want other women to either.

Parton's death has truly rocked our world, and in the wake of it, we've had so many important conversations about her legacy.

Just ten months before her death, Parton put out a video giving fans a bit of information about her health. "I've got some problems, as I've mentioned," she said. "Back when my husband Carl was sick, that was a long time, and then when he passed, I didn't take care of myself. So I let a lot of things go that I should have been taking care of. So anyway, when I got around to it, the doctor said 'we need to take care of this, we need to take care of that'."

It was revealed after Parton's death that she had been sick with cancer.

So many caregivers, myself included, can relate to this. When you're responsible for someone else, it is so easy to fall into the trap of self-neglect. If someone like Dolly Parton fell into this trap, even with all her resources and all her access, of course everyday people are as well.

But it's imperative that we find a way out of this. We've been conditioned to believe self-care is having your nails done or going to the gym. But what about actually taking care of ourselves? What about going to our appointments? Not ignoring our worrisome symptoms? Getting enough sleep? Eating well?

Those are the things that actually make a difference in the long run.

So let's live like Dolly. Let's remember the best parts of her legacy. But let's also learn from her mistakes.