An accidental text turned into a sweet tradition for an Arizona grandma, a random stranger she texted by accident in 2016, and another random individual the two friends decided to invite to Thanksgiving dinner for the chance encounter that’s now their yearly tradition.
That grandma is Wanda Dench and the former stranger is Jamal Hinton. In 2016, Dench meant to text her grandson about Thanksgiving but accidentally sent the message to Hinton instead. However, rather than just ignore the message, then-17-year-old Hinton messaged Dench back, and the two confirmed that a mix-up had occurred. Then, Hinton was invited and joined Dench for Thanksgiving dinner anyway.
That has since turned into a Thanksgiving tradition for the two, with Dench continuing to host Hinton on Thanksgiving for the past 8 years. This year, they expanded the festivities, hosting Thanksgiving at an Airbnb and inviting strangers.
Hinton, posting about the fun and expanded tradition on X (formerly Twitter) after it occurred, posted a picture of him with Dench and their other guest and captioned it by saying, “That’s a wrap on Thanksgiving year 8! Thankful for the connections we made hosting our first @airbnb guest 🧡”
In their post for the event on Airbnb, Dench and Hinton say, “Some may recognize us from our viral text mishap that led to our first Thanksgiving together back in 2016. And eight years later, we’re practically family. To commemorate our lasting friendship, we’re excited to become Airbnb Hosts and welcome new guests into our holiday tradition, creating meaningful connections in the process.”
Continuing, they add, “Our unexpected friendship may have started accidentally, but our love for meeting new people has kept it going strong almost a decade later. That’s why this year, we’re expanding our annual tradition and inviting new guests to spend Thanksgiving with us at Wanda’s home – because that’s what grandma’s do: feed everyone.”
They then say, “Booking for a private room at Wanda’s home opens at 11 a.m. MST on Tuesday, November 14 for a one-night stay for up to two guests on Monday, November 20. The stay will be priced at $16 – a nod to 2016 when we spent our first Thanksgiving together that started it all.”
Describing their Thanksgiving traditions, they then add, “During your stay, you can make yourself at home and enjoy our Thanksgiving traditions alongside a few of our family and friends, by: – Having a seat at our Thanksgiving table, fixed with everyone’s favorite holiday dishes. – Playing board games, watching movies and cozying up by the fire with a cup of cider or hot cocoa. – Taking part in our annual selfie. – And our favorite activity – exchanging stories, experiences and heartwarming memories as we create new ones together.”
Concluding, they note that Airbnb decided to partner with them to help Feeding America feed America, saying, “To further the goal of creating an America where no one is hungry, Airbnb will make a one-time donation to Feeding America, the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States helping provide food and support to 32 million people in America facing hunger each year.”
Featured image credit: Jamal Hinton X
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