Let’s Sparkle Like Dolly

Over 10 years ago, my husband and I went to the Cherokee National Forest to go for a day hike and while we were there we stopped at Harrah’s Casino to try out Paula Deen’s restaurant.

To get to Paula Deen’s restaurant we had to pass through the casino and we both were struck by how dark it was in the space. Apparently casinos are designed on purpose to not have clocks or windows, in the hope that gamblers will lose track of how long they’ve been at the table.

It was an ideal hiking day and yet the room was filled with people trying to hit the jackpot. The dark room seemed to match the energy of the players. The players seemed mesmerized by the slot machines. I remember telling my husband that most of the players seemed dead eyed, like there was no life in their eyes as they compulsively fed the slot machines money.

It may be easy to judge the gamblers at Harrah’s, but I know if I spend too much time on social media I can start to lose the light in my own eyes. I have seen the same thing happen to my daughter when she watches too much Paw Patrol or Peppa the Pig. These shows are great in moderation, but when she consumes too much television my precious 4 year old is more likely to have a tantrum.

There is this threshold you cross after too much Netflix, when you seem to lose the light in your eyes. It may not be the casino, social media, or TV for you, but have you noticed what causes you to surrender the light and joy in your own eyes?

A hobby of mine is buying religious art in antique shops. One day I was in an antique shop and picked up a small hamsa tapestry. As I purchased the hamsa, the antique owner explained to me the palm-shaped symbol with an eye was historically used by both Jews and Muslims as an amulet to ward off evil forces, particularly as protection from the “evil eye.” In Judaism, the evil eye was a metaphor for a jealous spirit.

I love the Enneagram Personality Typing System because it reminds me that I am both shadow and light. Sometimes when I look at my hamsa, I am reminded that I have to be intentional to nurture my good eye and overcome my own evil eye. The Enneagram reminds me I can move from anger to forgiveness, from pride to humility, from deceit to authenticity, from envy to gratitude, from greed to generosity, from anxiety to faith, from gluttony to moderation, from power to vulnerability, and from sloth to mindful living.

Over the 4th of July holiday, my husband and I braved the heat and took our children to Dollywood. As we walked around Dollywood, I noticed several people wearing shirts that advertised Dolly Parton for President with Reba as her VP in 2024. I love the fact that Dolly is that rare soul who is loved by most Democrats and Republicans and by city and country folk. She likely has no interest in running for President, but regardless her open-hearted spirit is just what this country needs. Dolly doesn’t just have sparkly outfits, she also has a sparkle in her eyes and this sparkle comes from love.

Dolly sings songs like, “I Will Always Love You,” but she also puts her love and music into action through her philanthropic programs, including the Imagination Library. Dolly once said, “I try to see the good in everybody, and I don’t care who people are as long as they’re themselves, whatever that is.”

I want to be like Dolly and open my heart to see the good in everyone. I want to acknowledge my shadow side and evil eye so that I can seek to overcome these parts of myself. I can dim my own eyes through anger, fear, pride, and envy. I am just as susceptible as anyone to having the dead eyes I witnessed in the casinos. Instead of having an “evil eye,” I want to have the sparkle in my eye that Dolly seems to have.

Dolly said she tries to see the good in everyone. I think you will find the Dolly sparkle in your eyes when you see and celebrate others, see and celebrate the present moment, see and celebrate yourself, and see and celebrate an energy greater than you that loves and accepts you just as you are. The hamsa is often referred to as the hand of God. The hand of God wants to protect us from the evil eye. It wants us to live mindfully and see and experience the goodness of the life.

If I spend too much time on Instagram, I can start to feel jealous and the light in my eyes might start to dim, but when I set limits with technology, it helps me to be more present and see the glory in others and in life.

I don’t want to lose the sparkle in my eyes and end up with the dead eyes I saw in the casino. Will you join me in trying to set boundaries with anything that keeps you from being full of light and seek to practice forgiveness, humility, authenticity, gratitude, generosity, faith, moderation, vulnerability, and mindfulness, so that you also will keep the sparkle in your eyes? Let’s sparkle like Dolly!

This article was originally published in The Lookout Mountain Mirror.