We even had names if we did, but it didn’t turn out that way,” Dolly Parton once said, reflecting on her and Carl Dean’s early dreams of parenthood. In the wake of Carl’s passing in 2025, Parton opened up about their choice to remain childless—shaped by health struggles, career ambitions, and ultimately, a divine sense of purpose. Her moving reflections offer a rare, intimate glimpse into her enduring love story and the powerful ways she’s “mothered” millions through her Imagination Library.