Simply the baste!
A beloved Thanksgiving tradition that started when an Arizona grandma accidentally invited a local teen to her holiday dinner in 2016 will reunite the former strangers for the ninth year in a row.
Jamal Hinton, 25, announced Monday he will host Thanksgiving dinner at his aunt’s home in Phoenix this year, with Wanda Dench, 67, making the two-hour trek from Prescott Valley to continue their serendipitous holiday custom.
“Excited to announce that I’m hosting Thanksgiving this year for Wanda and I!” Hinton wrote in a post on X, with a collage of photos of the pair from over the years.
“Looking forward to a day filled with good food, great company, and lasting memories. Year 9 coming soon.”
The joyous news comes one month after Dench revealed her breast cancer diagnosis in a message shared on Hinton’s social media.
Dench, who recently completed chemotherapy treatments and will begin radiation therapy next month, said she is determined to spend the holidays with her new-found family, The Arizona Republic reported.
“I feel so blessed to have him in my life,” Dench told the outlet.
“He’s changed my life for the good, and so we’re going to make it work.”
The unlikely bond between the duo began in 2016 when Dench sent a text message to a phone number that was previously used by her grandson.
“Thanksgiving dinner is at my house,” Dench said in the message, accompanied by the date and time of the annual dinner. “Let me know if you’re coming. Hope to see you there.”
Instead, Hinton, then 17, received the random text and was confused, asking for photo proof of the woman who claimed to be his grandmother.
Dench obliged and sent Hinton a photo of herself at work, to which the Arizona teen sent a photo of himself.
“You not my grandma,” Hinton responded alongside his photo. “Can I still get a plate though?”
“Of course you can. That’s what grandmas do … feed everyone,” Dench replied in the now viral exchange.
Hinton and Dench have since celebrated every Thanksgiving together in some form, taking a photo after the heartwarming meal and sharing to social media.
The pair have also come together in times of need, including when Dench lost her husband, Lonnie, to COVID-19 in April 2020.
The friends are also business partners in BlackMP, a mineral water company, with their unique story soon to be released on Netflix in a film titled, “The Thanksgiving Text.”
Despite life’s ups and downs, their friendship and moving tradition has offered each of them a different outlook on life.
“I have a different appreciation now about life, and for me, it’s about being with the people that I love,” Dench told the local outlet.
Hinton added, “You really never know when (will be) the last time you have a dinner with someone, or be able to talk to someone. I’d always suggested seeing your loved ones.”