Thanksgiving is a time for spending quality time with family and being grateful for life’s blessings. In a story that showcased the heart of the holiday, two Arizona families met and broke bread Thursday after a text message was erroneously sent to the wrong teen.
The case of a holiday dinner invite sent to the wrong number went viral last week after 17-year-old Jamal Hinton posted the humorous exchange with Dench on Twitter.
“I feel like everybody see this joy – that two people, two strangers – can actually connect,” Hinton told NBC’s Nightly News.
“Grandma Wanda” made good on her word and invited Hinton and his family to share in the Thanksgiving festivities at her home.
Hinton, who almost didn’t make it because of a scheduling conflict, said he was moved by the Dench family’s acceptance.
“I love just being here,” said Hinton. “I feel like we can connect more and bond.”
The warm-fuzzies borne out of this random messaging union rippled online as many people cheered on the grandma and teen in support of them meeting in person for Thanksgiving.
WATCH: U.S. Thanksgiving text message invite mix-up brings two families together
“This has really touched my heart. From all the people out there who have said the kindest things to me. I never expected in a million years that this was going to happen to me,” said Dench. “People are saying, ‘I have faith in humanity again,’ and I’m thinking wow!”
The incident has changed Hinton’s perspective, too.
“There are more nice people out there in the world than I thought there were,” he said.
The Hintons and the Denches are planning to get together again for another meal in the near future.