Dolly Parton‘s niece, Rebecca Seaver, is paying tribute to her beloved late aunt.

On Tuesday, Aug. 25, Seaver, 39 — who is the daughter of Parton’s sister, Cassie, 75 — shared an emotional message on Instagram after it was confirmed that the “Jolene” singer had died at age 80 after being diagnosed with cancer.

Seaver — who established the official Dolly Parton archive, as well as curating her aunt’s book, Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones, and being the executive director of Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum — shared multiple family photos taken through the years.

She captioned the carousel, which included baby photos, as well as images of Cassie Parton and other loved ones, “Today, the grief we feel is insurmountable because of the enormous amount of love we all have for Dolly Rebecca Parton. She has always been the light, not just for those directly in her orbit but for the entire world. We all wanted to be better versions of ourselves for her sake, and I hope we all continue to do just that.”

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Seaver wrote that she was now embarking “on a new journey,” which was “a life without my most trusted confidant. My best friend, my favorite adventurer, my name-giver, my godmother, my precious Aunt Granny.”

“I know she has been welcomed into the mystic by Carl and my Mamaw Avie Lee. She is now on her most important celestial journey with God and I know she is at peace,” Seaver added, referring to Parton’s late husband, Carl Dean, and the country icon’s late mother, Avie Lee.

Seaver continued, “I am so grateful to have experienced the magic of her presence in my life and in all of yours. It is my absolute honor to pay tribute to her today, and always, by telling her beautiful story. Her legacy is the joy she brought and will continue to bring to all of us.”

Dolly Parton in November 2023.Ron Jenkins/Getty
“While we mourn this incredible loss, I want us all to remember that joy and grief exist together,” she added. “This is a celebration of a beautiful life, lived unapologetically and with the most incredible heart. She never left a rhinestone or a dream unturned, and I am so proud to carry those shining dreams forward. She will forever be shining down on us and flying with butterflies.”

Seaver concluded, “I will miss you and love you endlessly. Your niece, Rebecca Ann Keikilani Seaver.”

Rebecca’s brother, Bryan Seaver — Parton’s nephew — announced that the “9 to 5” hitmaker had died in an Instagram video earlier that day. Parton’s death followed a “brief battle with cancer.” The type of cancer was not disclosed, PEOPLE reported.

The singer had been admitted to the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville on Friday, Aug. 21, where she died four days later. As PEOPLE also previously reported, Parton had been dealing with kidney and autoimmune issues prior to her death.

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Reps for the country star said in a statement to PEOPLE on Tuesday, “Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched. Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand.”

“Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact. After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones,” the statement concluded.

In Bryan’s video confirming Parton’s death, he introduced himself before revealing that announcing her death was “something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality.”

“As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now,” he shared in the clip.

He added: “It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens.”

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Parton herself had acknowledged her recent health decline just days before her death.

She told PEOPLE on Friday, “As I’ve shared in video messages throughout the past year, I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over [my husband] Carl. You know, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to manage something like this. Back in the early ‘80s, I was down for several months with female issues, and I was struggling with my weight at the time too, so it’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health.”

“But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago,” she added. “I used to joke that I was the Queen of the Tabloids, but now I guess I can say I’m the Queen of Social Media AI! Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’! You know me — as I’ve often said — I’ve dreamed myself into a corner and I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I’m gonna keep