The sweet friendship between a young man and a grandmother from Mesa, Arizona, is still going strong after an accidental 2016 text message that warmed hearts all over the world.
Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench have been friends for quite some time now and are planning to enjoy Thanksgiving together again this year, making it the eighth time they have done so, Complex reported Tuesday.
The pair met in 2016 after Dench accidentally texted the then 17-year-old — who was sitting in class at Desert Vista High School — because she thought his number was her grandson’s and wanted to tell him she was hosting Thanksgiving at her house that year.
Hinton decided to make a joke out of it, so he asked her if he could come grab a plate of food. To his surprise, Dench replied, “Of course you can. That’s what grandma’s do…feed everyone,” according to Breitbart News.
The friends have spent every Thanksgiving together since then, and it appears they do not plan on stopping any time soon.
“Thanksgiving around the corner and I am still receiving text from random number! Year 8 plans are set with a great surprise!!!” Hinton wrote in a social media post on October 16:
Social media users were ecstatic when they read the news, one person writing, “Love this!! Every year I look forward to seeing updates and love seeing your friendship continue to grow!!”
“Favorite story honestly,” someone else commented, while another replied, “Your Thanksgivings posts are what we need right now more than ever. I’m excited to hear all about the day!”
During an interview in 2021, Dench called the young man and his girlfriend “permanent additions” to her family:
The friends do not only meet at Thanksgiving but have become like family and enjoy dinners out together frequently, according to Complex.
For one Thanksgiving, Dench helped Hinton cook the meal for their loved ones.
“He has literally changed my life and my point of view on young generations, about being open to friendships when you think you have nothing in common with somebody,” Dench told Today in 2022:
“But when you just sit and talk to them, oh my gosh,” she added.