Exactly Baste!
A beloved Thanksgiving tradition that started in 2016 when an Arizona grandma accidentally invited local teens to a holiday dinner has reunited former strangers for the ninth year in a row. It turns out.
Jamal Hinton, 25, announced Monday that he will host Thanksgiving dinner this year at his aunt's house in Phoenix, and Wanda Dench, 67, will make the two-hour trek from Prescott Valley. Trying to keep up an unexpected holiday tradition.
“I'm excited to announce that I'll be hosting Thanksgiving for Wanda and I this year!” Hinton I wrote it in X's postwhich includes a collage of photos of the pair over the years.
“We're looking forward to a day full of delicious food, great company, and lasting memories. It's almost our 9th year.”
The happy news comes a month after Dench revealed her breast cancer diagnosis. Hinton said in a message shared on social media.
Dench, who recently completed chemotherapy treatment and will begin radiation treatment next month, said she was determined to spend the holidays with her new family. The Arizona Republic reported.
“I feel so blessed to have him in my life,” Dench told the magazine.
“He changed my life for the better, and we're going to make it work.”
Their unlikely bond began in 2016 when Dench sent a text message to her grandson's old phone number.
“Thanksgiving dinner will be at my house,” Dench said in the message, along with the date and time of the annual dinner. “If you're coming, please let me know. I look forward to seeing you there.”
Instead, Hinton, then 17, received a random text, confused, and demanding photographic evidence of a woman claiming to be her grandmother.
In response, Dench sent Hinton a photo of himself at work, and the Arizona teenager sent Hinton a photo of himself.
“You're not my grandmother,” Hinton responded with a photo of herself. “Can I still have a plate?”
“Of course you can. That's what grandmas do… feed everyone,” Dench replied. Now the exchange is going viral.
Since then, Hinton and Dench have celebrated Thanksgiving together in some form every year, taking photos and sharing them on social media after their heartwarming meal.
The two have also worked together in times of need, such as when Dench lost her husband Ronnie to COVID-19 in April 2020.
The friends are also business partners in the mineral water company BlackMP, and their unique story will soon be released on Netflix as a film titled “The Text of Thanksgiving.”
Despite life's ups and downs, their friendship and touching traditions have given each of them a different outlook on life.
“I have a different perception of life now. For me, it's about being with the people I love,” Dench told local media.
Hinton added, “You never really know when the last time you'll be able to have dinner with someone or talk to someone. I always suggested meeting your loved ones.”
