Accidental Thanksgiving Invite Grandma Strikes Again!

(CNN)4 years agone, a grandmother accidentally invited a stranger to her Thanksgiving dinner via text message. Ever since, they've historic the holiday together and despite the pandemic, this year was no exception.

Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton celebrated their fifth Thanksgiving on Friday in Mesa, Arizona, merely there was an empty seat at the dinner table. Afterwards 43 years of spousal relationship, Dench'southward hubby, Lonnie Dench, passed abroad in April from complications caused by Covid-19.

"I wasn't looking frontward to information technology at first because Lonnie wasn't going to be there. The past vii months have been so difficult, but this was really important to me," Dench, 63, told CNN.

"I can't even explain how much joy I had, having skillful food with my favorite visitor. We laughed, nosotros had a nifty fourth dimension, we reminisced well-nigh the past. Information technology was and so proficient for all of us."

The two shared a Thanksgiving dinner with Hinton'southward girlfriend and Dench's daughter and grandson. The small group decided to gloat Thanksgiving on Friday so they could become tested for coronavirus earlier celebrating with their ain families so they don't gamble spreading the virus.

"At offset it was sad. We had a photograph of Lonnie at the tabular array with a candle lit, and we were all shaky in the beginning but it lasted 5 minutes earlier we were back to ourselves," Hinton, 21, told CNN. "Nosotros just told jokes and stories and shared our memories of Lonnie, and then it was amazing."

From strangers to friends to family unit

Dench and Hinton are a pair of unlikely friends. All it took to bring them together was a couple of texts to the wrong number.

Dench, a grandmother of half dozen, meant to text her grandson to invite him to her 2016 Thanksgiving dinner, only accidentally texted so 17-year-erstwhile Hinton while he was in class.

He was confused that someone claiming to be his grandma had texted him. She sent a smiling selfie of herself at piece of work. She wasn't his grandma, but he asked if he could still accept a plate.

"Of course y'all tin," she replied. "That's what grandmas do ... feed everyone!"

So he showed up at her domicile to share the meal, and the two immediately became friends. Somewhen, he and his girlfriend began going on regular double dates with Dench and Lonnie.

"Information technology all has to do with this feeling. There'due south merely this connectedness. It feels like nosotros've known each other in past lives," Dench said. "At that place'due south admittedly no generational gap betwixt u.s.. The conversation just flows, nosotros never run out of things to talk about."

When Hinton first showed upwardly on Dench'southward doorsteps, he was worried at that place would be awkward silences or moments where he wouldn't know what to say. What he didn't expect was how she would very quickly go 1 of his closest friends.

"Whenever we met, nosotros would spend 4 or five hours, just talking and talking. It was never awkward, Wanda and Lonnie became two shut best friends to me," Hinton said.

"There's nothing about her that is mean, or uncaring. Information technology feels like I accept told her my whole life story, and she always listens and shares her own story. She's just the nearly loving person. She's pretty much perfect."

Remembering Lonnie

For Dench and Hinton, spending Thanksgiving together is a cherished tradition they both hope never has to stop. But without Lonnie, things feel a piffling bit different.

"Lonnie was missing this year, and he was a large part of the Thanksgiving story and a big function of our lives, but that's one thing Wanda and I know for sure. Lonnie would have been very angry if nosotros didn't have Thanksgiving together," Hinton said.

Lonnie passed away on April v later contesting coronavirus and suffering from double pneumonia caused by the virus, according to Dench.

"I didn't believe I would have to go dwelling without him," she said. "Even when he was in the hospital, I thought he would get better and come back to me. He was my soul mate. He was my biggest cheerleader."

What everyone remembers most nearly Lonnie, she added, was his kindness. He was known for offering random donations to hospice centers, paying for people's meals without them knowing, and helping anyone he sees in demand.

Hinton's memories of him are no different.

"Lonnie was never the tranquillity guy. Right when I walked in the door the first fourth dimension I met him, he didn't even reach out for a handshake. He just immediately pulled me in for a hug," Hinton said. "He was the kind of guy to e'er bring your hopes upward whenever you felt down. Losing him was losing a best friend."

Hinton and Dench are still healing from their loss, and say Lonnie'due south memory will live with them forever. For at present, they merely hope his story will encourage people to be more careful during the pandemic.

"Simply have patience," Dench said. "I know it isn't easy, and everyone is frustrated and just wants to become back to normal. But nosotros demand to have hope and always care virtually other people."

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Source: https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/22/us/teen-grandma-thanksgiving-text-coronavirus-husband-trnd/index.html

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