Introduction

This is the story of a mistaken text message and how it led to a lasting relationship between two families.  In 2016, Wanda Dench accidentally accidentally sent an invitation to attend her family Thanksgiving dinner to a stranger named Jamal Hinton. Although it was a mistake, Wanda invited him to her family Thanksgiving anyway and Jamal agreed to go.  And they had such a good time together it became a tradition. You can use this story to talk about traditional and non-traditional families, traditional and non-traditional celebrations, continuity and change.  Wanda's husband, Lonnie, died of COVID in 2020. Holidays can be hard when family members die.  How do families cope with loss around the holidays? How can traditions change?