And I will always love you …

Country queen Dolly Parton has revealed the secret to surviving heartbreak after losing her beloved husband of 60 years – an unshakable Christian faith and a heart full of hope.

The 78-year-old legend says she’s drawing strength from her walk with God after Carl Dean passed away in March, aged 82, in Nashville. “I am a person of faith, and I truly believe that I’m going to see him again someday,” Dolly shared. “I see him every day in my memories and in my heart.”

The couple’s fairy-tale love story began back in 1962 outside a Wishy Washy Laundromat when Dolly was just 18 and had newly arrived in Nashville. “He looked at my face – a rare thing for me,” she quipped. “He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was.”

They tied the knot two years later in a secret Georgia ceremony, defying her record label’s wishes, and have been each other’s rock ever since. Carl famously kept out of the spotlight, but was always Dolly’s biggest fan – and even inspired hits like Jolene and her Rockstar album.

“I really feel his presence,” Dolly admitted in a heartfelt interview while promoting her new range of Southern-style frozen meals. “He was ill for quite a while, and part of me was at peace that he was at peace and not suffering anymore. But that still doesn’t make up for the loss and the loneliness of it.”

Known for her larger-than-life stage persona, Dolly says it’s her relationship with Jesus that truly keeps her going. “You just kind of have to learn to make new plans – but that’s the hardest part,” she confessed.

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