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'Thanksgiving Grandma' and mistaken text buddy reunite for 8th year

This year they opened their Thanksgiving table to a new guest, turning a simple mistake into a heartwarming, welcoming tradition.
'Thanksgiving Grandma' and mistaken text buddy reunite for 8th year
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It's the favorite Thanksgiving story we all love — the mix-up that turned into an eight-year tradition.

The woman, now known as “Thanksgiving Grandma,” and the guy she accidentally texted, confusing his number for her grandson’s, got together again for Thanksgiving. This year, they added a new guest to their celebration with the help of Airbnb.

Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton started this tradition in 2016 and have kept it going, even after Wanda's husband passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, however, they open their Thanksgiving table to a new guest, turning a simple mistake into a heartwarming, welcoming tradition.

In an Instagram post, Dench identified the special guest as Arseni and thanked her new guest for “being part of the good in the world this holiday season."

Arseni joined them as part of an Airbnb promotion to stay at Dench's home in Prescott, Arizona, and be part of the festivities.

Hinton took to X to say he was "thankful for the connections we made hosting our first @airbnb guest." 

In 2021, it wasannounced that Netflixwould be making a film inspired by the story of Hinton and Dench’s unlikely friendship. A release date for the film, titled “The Thanksgiving Text,” has not been announced yet. 


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