Like this:

I just got off the phone with my Grandma B, she of many previous posts on this blog. I’d set up a special little surprise for her tonight, and she was calling to report the news of it.

You see, a few weeks ago, she and I were discussing my upcoming Confirmation over the phone. I casually asked who her Confirmation sponsor was, and she said that it was an older cousin of hers, N. After a pensive pause, my grandma wistfully remarked that she hadn’t talked to N in decades, and she wondered aloud whether her cousin was still alive.

Her inquiry sparked something in me. After gleaning what information Grandma knew of N, I took to my laptop to try to track down the elusive N. With the help of a second cousin of my own and WhitePages.com, I finally found a listing that seemed to fit the bill. I called the number, and, disappointed, had to leave a message. My mission seemed to be dead-ended.

But later that afternoon, the phone rang. Caller ID (one of the best inventions since sliced bread; up there with WhitePages.com) revealed it to be N herself! I was overjoyed to speak to this woman at last, the long-lost piece of my grandmother’s past. Once I convinced her I was not a stalker and informed her of the existence of my grandpa, and therefore my mom and her brothers and myself, she and I arranged for her to have a phone chat with my grandma.

Today, in secret, I made a call to N and sealed the deal. I couldn’t resist a mischievious call to Grandma informing her that she’d receive a mystery call tonight: one that she wouldn’t be expecting.

And just a half hour ago, I was aroused from my book with a call of, “Telephone!” It brought me such indescribable joy to hear my grandma so animated. I haven’t heard her sound so happy for years. And another first: during the entire phone call in which she recounted their hourlong conversation, Grandma didn’t complain about ANYTHING. Not once did a single negative word escape her mouth. Her voice, livelier than ever (ironically, she’s currently recovering from laryngitis), was incredibly chipper, and her conversation was peppered with heartfelt thank-yous (which, of course, felt out of place, since I’d only spent about a half hour on my quest for N, but were still appreciated).

As soon as I said good night to Grandma, I was suddenly filled with this joy I’ve never experienced before. I can’t describe it, except to say that I was immensely happy. I went out to the living room and recounted this to my mom, grinning stupidly the entire time. Mom rewards my good deed with a warm smile and the knowledge that everyone involved is happier for it: N, Grandma and all the people she will encounter…the list goes on.

Even though Grandma couldn’t stop talking about how much good I’d done her, I think I was the true beneficiary of this entire exchange. I reunited two long-lost people, and, more importantly, taught myself a life lesson: the value of joy. And thanks to today’s events (my surprisingly easy quarterly exams at school today didn’t hurt either), I’ll be radiating joy for a long time to come.

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