Dolly Parton has said, "There's a great comfort in knowing that someone loves you exactly for who you are - because he fell in love with me before I became a star". I think this is why Dolly's marriage to Carl worked, despite her transformations over the years. Carl truly loved her spirit and soul. In 1964, when Dolly met Carl the first day she arrived in Nashville at 18, she already had her love for bouffant hairstyles, but her make-up was subtle. Would you be able to adapt if your spouse/partner began to wear heavy make-up and underwent surgical procedures that changed their appearance?

When Dolly and Carl eloped in 1966, with only Dolly's mother attending, Dolly wore an understated wedding gown. As her career blossomed, she became known for her love of self-described tacky, glamorous clothes featuring rhinestones, sequins, and fringes. Do you ever try to influence what your spouse/partner wears?

Dolly has said, "We both do different things, and it's exciting when we are together". They spent a lot of time apart because Dolly's career required a great amount of travel. Carl accompanied Dolly when she was honored at a BMI Awards banquet in 1966, but he didn't attend other events partly because of his aversion to the spotlight. Hypothetically, could you enjoy a relationship that required spending a lot of time apart?

Income disparity in a relationship can have a terrible impact. When one person earns significantly more than the other there can be a power imbalance, conflict, and resentment. Dolly and Carl successfully worked through the changes in their income over the years. Carl had owned an asphalt-paving business. But Dolly's net worth is estimated at between 400-600 million dollars. Have you ever had to deal with income disparity in a relationship?