The news these days is often depressing at worst and frustrating at best. It’s easy to let it get us down. Never fear… The News Blender has you covered. Once a week we feature Something Good and, in return, all you have to do is tell us something good that has happened to you this week, something you are thankful for, a joke, a cute animal story, an inspiring tale of heroics, a Random Act of Kindness… SOMETHING good.
Today’s something good is a Thanksgiving tradition.
In 2016, a text-gone-wrong ended up with Wanda Dench accidentally inviting 17-year-old Jamal Hinton to Thanksgiving. When he sent her a picture of who she had just invited – a young black man who was not her grandson – she gamely said he was invited anyway. That led to a years long tradition of Jamal being invited to the Dench’s Thanksgiving. Even in 2020, after Lonnie passed away after having covid, Jamal celebrated Thanksgiving with Wanda and her family.
This year was year seven of celebrating together. Time goes on and changes things: Wanda got a tattoo in honor of lost loved ones, with Jamal at her side for strength. Jamal is no longer a kid but a basketball coach of 5th and 6th graders.
Wanda will be moving in the near future but they plan on gathering at her new house next year for Thanksgiving year eight.
Jamal and Wanda’s friendship is so unlikely and so wholesome that it has become a yearly reminder of what is so good about this country.
Now it’s your turn… Tell me something good!
