TRADITIONS

A Thanksgiving Tradition

Five years ago, Wanda Dench sent an accidental text message that sparked one of the internet's most beloved holiday traditions. Dench, from Mesa, Arizona, sent a text inviting her grandson over for dinner -- except it didn't go to her grandson. It went to Jamal Hinton, a high school kid at the time in the same area. They had a laugh over it, and then Hinton jokingly asked if he could still come over. "Of course you can," Dench replied. "That's what grandmas do ... feed everyone." Since then, the pair have connected every year, and Hinton posts about the get-togethers on social media. "Blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives," he wrote in 2019. Even last year, after Dench's husband Lonnie passed away from Covid-19 in April 2020, Hinton was still able to connect with her for the holiday. This year, they'll meet once again, to share life's trials and joys together. 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/16/entertainment/teen-grandma-thanksgiving-text/index.html?utm_term=16374133856473644851ddc95&utm_source=cnn_The+Good+Stuff+11%2F20%2F21&utm_medium=email&bt_ee=mEvusxawzRDJzkvAdsAAmed3cDfMSojNOmpHSnGoGGIU9oxKCB9PrA4n1KMv9%2FiL&bt_ts=1637413385650