Internet Solves Grandma's Secret Code 18 Years After Her Death

Earlier this week, Janna Holm posted images of a coded note card that her grandmother had created just before her death 18 years ago. Holm was certain that her grandmother, who died of cancer, was using these cards to communicate in some kind of secret code, but neither she nor her siblings could figure it out. When Holm’s father recently found one of the cards, Holm decided to reach out to the internet for help. And the internet responded. (But in a productive way; not just with videos of Fluttershy and Grumpy Cat.)

The AP reports that within minutes of Holm’s posting, members of MetaFilter had broken the code and while the decoded message did not feature the coordinates of the lost city of Atlantis (will we ever find it?), the contents of the missive (which featured The Lord’s Prayer) were heartwarming for Holm and her family.

Using her own deductions and comments from the website, Holm compiled a prayer in which her grandmother was giving thanks, and praying that her loved ones would be safe, happy and healthy.

Holm believes that her grandmother may have used the code as a cheat sheet to remember prayers, abbreviating them to just the first letter of each word. The mystery has not been completely solved (approximately 20 cards exist; hopefully one with a recipe for never-ending cheesecake that changes flavors at will) but, according to Holm, just peeling away a layer of the years-old intrigue has been a comfort to the family.