"I changed my view totally of the younger generation, and now that I reflect back on all these years, I didn't change their life, they changed mine," Wanda Dench said.
It's Thanksgiving, which means Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench are sharing the day together. Five years ago, a popular text message started their yearly ritual. When Dench accidentally invited Hinton to Thanksgiving dinner through text message in 2016, the odd pair made it a ritual to celebrate the holiday together. Her accidental receiver immediately realized that the note was actually intended for Dench's grandchild. When this was made clear, the grandma, who was 59 at the time, didn't appear to be upset at all, though. Dench instead offered a real invitation to join them despite Hinton's lighthearted request for a plate at the age of 17, according to TODAY.
On Tuesday, November 22, Jamal Hinton posted a picture of himself and Wanda Dench outside The Cheesecake Factory, showing that the two are continuing their very popular ritual. "To answer all your questions, yes Thanksgiving year 7 is planned out! See you guys Thursday!" he captioned the photo. One user referred to the reunion as "the Thanksgiving tradition I never knew I needed" in the comment area, which was brimming with happiness and enthusiasm. Many readers expressed their anticipation for the annual update to the consoling tale, and one even proposed that Hallmark make a film based on Hinton and Dench. It all started with the, "Can I still get a plate tho?" Hinton asked. "Of course you can. That's what grandma's do...feed everyone," she replied with a piece of cake emoji.
Hinton posted about the encounter on social media, and thousands of people have been following the couple's tale ever since they shared their first Thanksgiving dinner in Mesa, Arizona, six years ago. The two managed to come up with a more modest method of gathering even throughout the epidemic in 2020. But that year was unusual since Lonnie Dench, who was her husband, passed away earlier that spring as a result of complications with COVID-19. Hinton quickly turned to Twitter to raise awareness and support after learning the news. Hinton updated his followers following Lonnie's demise, writing: "Wanda told me all the love and support he was receiving put a huge smile on his face so I thank every single one of you guys for that!" A week later, Hinton tweeted "We miss you Lonnie" along with a video of him having lunch with the couple.
This is year 6❤️
— Briana Whitney (@BrianaWhitney) November 25, 2021
Wanda & Jamal still celebrate Thanksgiving together after the mistaken 2016 text.
Today I sat down with them for a personal interview reflecting on the past, joy & loss, and what’s to come for the two of them.@Jamalhinton12 @wandadench https://t.co/rIF0s9a49T pic.twitter.com/BUPlzzqaG5
When Dench sent that careless text message years ago, she claimed that she felt "fate stepped in." “Jamal taught me that age made absolutely no difference. I love all of my grandkids and kids, but we all are different generations and we all reminiscence about different things,” she said. When asked about her online celebrity and how social media got her through her loss, Dench told Arizona's Family reporter Briana Whitney, "I get so many people giving condolences, and they're just so genuine and so uplifting. If I had never [texted Hinton back], then I would have missed out on a wonderful relationship," said Dench. "I changed my view totally of the younger generation, and now that I reflect back on all these years, I didn't change their life, they changed mine."
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Cover Image Source: Instagram |Jamal Hinton
