The streets of Chicago erupted in cheers last night. Shouts of jubilation were raised in sports bars across the country.
And in comfy chairs in living rooms across America, the grandmas and grandpas and great-grandparents of Cubs Nation took to their feet, held their faces in shock, grabbed their telephones, collapsed into gleeful laughter and chugged champagne straight from the bottle.
All the Cubs fans on Earth have been waiting their whole lives for this. (Even those few fans who were alive for the last World Series win were too young to possibly remember it.)
94 year old grandma partying like it is 1908! #Cubs #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/r7I0vgS1Oi
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) November 3, 2016
But the oldest fans have, of course, been waiting the longest — and on Wednesday night, as their patience was rewarded, their glee was shared with the world through the magic of social media.
Like these grandmothers, who just didn't think the Cubs could do it.
My grandmother the moment the @Cubs won the #WorldSeries @WaddleandSilvy pic.twitter.com/8TKimtopLf
— killOpillOw (@killOpillOw) November 3, 2016
Or this great-grandma, who was all laughter and applause, as her landline starts ringing off the hook.
Or this gentleman, whose glee — 81 years in the making — has gone viral.
my grandpa has been waiting 81 years for this😭 #GoCubbies pic.twitter.com/K5GIl4TpZr
— clare (@_claremoser) November 3, 2016
One grandpa had been saving a special beer (long since gone funky) for the occasion.
my grandpa put this beer in his fridge 32 years ago and said he would open it when the cubs won the world series. today was that day. pic.twitter.com/LPsNMQZCpp
— grace (@GraceJohnso) November 3, 2016
"Grandpa was 14 the last time the cubs were in the world series," one tweet read.
happiest men in the world❤️ grandpa was 14 the last time the cubs were in the World Series So happy I got to experience this w/ u 2 #FlyTheW pic.twitter.com/KkAilJAof7
— gracie (@gracieegirl23) November 3, 2016
(NPR has not independently confirmed the ages or team loyalties of any of the people pictured. But we think the joy speaks for itself.)
My grandma is literally the happiest Cubs fun.❤💙 pic.twitter.com/VDv9MPGSTp
— olivia🌻 (@varvel_olivia) November 3, 2016
Many senior Cubs fans went straight for the telephone to share the moment.
@Cubs My 86 year old grandmother had been waiting a long time! The wait is over! CUBS ARE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!! #FlyTheW pic.twitter.com/Oy1YJrbki8
— Jeffrey (@JeffroMilo85) November 3, 2016
Others shared the victory with loved ones who were gone. (On a similar note, many Cubs fans were chalking the names of those who didn't live to see this day onto the walls of Wrigley Field, so they could share in the moment. And at least one fan listened to the game in a cemetery, to share the moment with his father.)
Til this day my grandma and grandpa have always been role models to me for love.... (& true cubs fans) 😂❤️💙 pic.twitter.com/Vj0omtwlrn
— m@d$ (@mads_heiar) November 3, 2016
There were matching shirts and smiles.
71 yrs ago my grandfather sat in Wrigley Field watching the @Cubs in the 1945 #WorldSeries tonight at 93 he witnessed his team #FlyTheW pic.twitter.com/5BbqpgF3ef
— Kacie Long (@kacielong) November 3, 2016
There were Cubs hats galore.
99 years old on Saturday - Go @Cubs - Grandma got to see it! pic.twitter.com/yv3bSQcONV
— John Monarch (@realjohnmonarch) November 3, 2016
There was celebratory drinking.
The cup just isn't enough for my Grandma when the @Cubs win the World Series. pic.twitter.com/VqTFA5jBIH
— ellen francis (@ellenefrancis) November 3, 2016
And mostly, there was glee — decades and decades in the making.
my grandpa's best friend is 95 years old and has been waiting literally his entire life for the cubs to win and I AM SO HAPPY FOR HIM! pic.twitter.com/98f18GvorJ
— Lisa Kirsch (@lisamkirsch) November 3, 2016
Twitter user @harleelwt shared two videos of his grandpa — before and after victory.
At the top of the 10th, he has his hands over his eyes, asking, "Are the bases loaded?" When told they are, he says, "Holy cow."
my grandpa is the absolute cutest. Please Cubs win for him💖💖🌟🌟 pic.twitter.com/yLPd75buMP
— ʚ 𝘬𝘢𝘮 ɞ (@lgbtasgardian) November 3, 2016
But after the win was in, he was cool as a cucumber — on the telephone, of course.
"Piece of cake, wasn't it?" he said.
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MY GRANDPA pic.twitter.com/1HFoftpuCz
— ʚ 𝘬𝘢𝘮 ɞ (@lgbtasgardian) November 3, 2016