Many of you have probably already heard this story. It’s apparently a huge viral social media sensation that’s been out there for 8 years. I had never heard it. (Where have I been?)
Wanda Dench, aka “Thanksgiving Grandma,” and her unlikely friend, Jamal Hinton, have simple words of advice for Americans this year — Spend the holiday with family.
The Arizona residents have shared Thanksgiving together every year since a Nov. 2016 text meant for Dench’s grandson was instead received by a then 17-year-old Hinton.
Their friendship has become as much a staple of the holiday as cranberry sauce and football, and their life journeys have in some ways become emblematic of the country’s course. The 67-year-old Dench lost her husband early in the pandemic and is now in between cancer treatments.
“You really never know when (will be) the last time you have a dinner with someone, or be able to talk to someone,” Hinton said in an interview with The Arizona Republic while recalling a recent conversation with Dench. “I’d always suggest seeing your loved ones.”
Their serendipitous encounter, enshrined in a viral post Hinton dropped on Twitter, now X, has since become part of national lore. Hinton told Dench the number she reached was no longer her grandson’s but his. She dutifully obliged his cheeky request for a dinner plate and invited him over for Thanksgiving dinner with her family.
The tradition the two have made of meeting yearly for Thanksgiving has spurred a Wikipedia page and netted a Netflix deal.
Talking with The Republic, Dench found herself counting what Thanksgiving they were on, her voice lifting in surprise as she said, “Oh, ninth year.”
Hinton and Dench have theorized their initial Thanksgiving meetup served as a balm on a country reeling from a divisive election. The subsequent distress from the 2016 election still troubles Dench.
“Boy, did I see and hear so many stories of families so divided over it, which is so sad to me,” Dench said.
It’s a nice story. I hope all of you are having a nice Thanksgiving as well.