her name is Pearl

I've passed her countless times. She stands, nearly everyday, on the sidewalk by Peachtree Street, in front of the Peachtree Center MARTA Station. She sings. Incredibly well. She has a donation box in front of her and she calmly belts out beautiful songs. Opera mostly, which is not my thing, but I do know that it's beautiful. Everyday, I pass her. I've never given her money. Most people don't. I've wondered many times what her story is. Is she homeless? Mentally disabled? Drugs? When I see people similar to her I often daydream and invent a history for them. Maybe she lives in a shelter nearby, and does the only thing she knows to do. She stands for hours, singing, and then uses the money for little things to help her get by - a tooth brush, a sweater, a blanket. Maybe she use to have another life. Maybe she is a mother, but lost touch with her family. Was she ever married? I think about her story every time I pass her.

Yesterday, two days before Christmas, I was walking along Peachtree on the way back to my office after a lunchtime trip to the gym. After leaving the 191 Building, I immediately heard the singing. A block away, Christmas music. Again, it was beautiful. This time as I approached, I stopped, and I watched. She was singing "All Come All Ye Faithful" and she sounded like one of those surprise contestants on a singing reality show. If she's not homeless, she's damn close. But her voice is amazing. As I watch, a couple of different people stop and put change in her donation box. She briefly stops singing and offers a sincere thank you, then carries on. Unlike every other time I've walked past, this time, I reached into my wallet, grabbed a 5 dollar bill, and approached her. As I put the money in the box, she saw it, stopped singing, and offered an incredibly sincere thank you. I told her that I pass her almost daily, but I've never stopped and the least I could do is give her a few dollars for her effort. Then, I began to learn her real story. She told me that she graduated from seminary school years ago, and then after a stint working as a missionary, she got a corporate job. She is now retired, and she sings so she can raise funds for missionaries.

I know that's only a bit of her story. But it's a lot more than I knew before. I actually feel richer for learning something about this woman. And now, when I pass her on Peachtree Street, singing her heart out, I'll say hello. Some days I'll stop and learn more.

Her name is Pearl.