All she really wanted to do was invite her family to Thanksgiving dinner – but one of the loveliest stories of winter unfolded from a text message. Because when Wanda Dench wrote in 2016: “Dinner is at my house on November 24th at three o’clock in the afternoon. I hope I see you all!” Instead, the invite went to Jamal Hinton, who was about to graduate from college at the time, and wrote back in confusion, “Who is that?”
Also confused, the 62-year-old replied: “Your grandma!”, whereupon Jamal skeptically demanded a selfie. When the black youth saw an older white lady on the screen, he wrote back with amusement: “I don’t think you’re my grandma lol” – and sent a picture of himself afterwards. He jokingly added, “Can I still have a plate?”
Well, back then, Jamal had underestimated Wanda Dench’s big heart, because she promptly replied: “Of course! That’s what grannies are for: feeding everyone!” And she was serious: the young man she had never known before was officially invited. That was seven years ago. And everyone enjoyed the evening together with Wanda’s family so much that they have repeated it every year since then. Jamal and the 62-year-old have since become real friends and he now refers to the Denchs as his “second family”.
And the unusual story of the two touches the whole world. Jamal reports that every year he is asked if he will spend Thanksgiving with Wanda – and of course the answer is yes. However, a lot has changed over the years: Unfortunately, Wanda’s husband Lonnie, who died of complications after a Covid infection, has been missing since last year. In return, Jamal’s partner Mikaela is now at the joint dinner.
Sources: Twitter, “Good Morning America”
