When I was a child, I remember learning about the story of country singer, Loretta Lynn. She came from very little, with a voice strong enough to move people. Loretta was a humble, hard working, dedicated wife and mother, who took care of her family by day, and sang her heart out at night. She loved her fans and always wanted to show them a great time at her concerts. To this day she still does! She is 81 years old and still touring and blessing people with her beautiful voice!
Over the years, she has become very successful and I am so excited to share with you that she just received the Medal of Freedom from the president, and what a joy it was to be able to hear about this! What is a Medal of Freedom and why did she get it? Click here to learn more.
If you've watched the movie, "Coal Minor's Daughter", starring Sissy Spacek, then you'll be happy to know that you can tour the large home where they lived on the hill, as well as go through a replica of her childhood home, from Butcher Holler.
I love listening to Loretta's music and visiting her ranch, and museum, in Tennessee. I have been through her old tour bus, read many personally written notes in the museum posted to her fans, and taken my children to the ranch as well, to show them her roots and how wonderful a woman she is. She actually lives right there on the property, and her staff treats everyone who calls or visits, just like family. You can tell they are treated well by her. (From what I understand, family is a large part of running the local establishments.)
If you happen to be in Nashville, or passing through Tennessee, head out and visit her ranch in Hurricane Mills. It's exit 143 off route 40; enjoy the ten minute ride down the country side, where you can stay in one of her cabins (rustic or contemporary), horse back ride, or tour her plantation and museum of achievements. In the summer, the ranch looks like a great place to camp!
If you have not yet watched the movie, I highly recommend it to learn more about her story. This movie is up there on the top of my list of 'mom' movies along with country stories like Walk the Line. (Warning: Do not watch either of these movies with your young children, as there are several scenes with mature content not meant for kids.)
Congratulations Loretta, you are a strong female role model for so many of the right reasons!