Dolly's final appearances are likely to be remembered in exactly this way.
But it is important not to romanticize illness or pretend that a photograph reveals someone's inner physical condition.
A picture cannot tell us everything about how a person was feeling.
What it can show is a moment.
And Dolly gave fans many beautiful moments.
A final message of optimism
The prerecorded video from August 14 is particularly moving because it came so close to her death.
At the time, viewers knew that Dolly was dealing with health issues, but they did not know that she had less than two weeks to live.
That knowledge changes the emotional context.
Yet perhaps the best way to remember the video is not with sadness alone.
Remember Dolly as someone who continued trying to connect with her audience.
Remember the woman who spent decades making people laugh.
Remember the songwriter who created songs that became part of people's lives.
