You ever call the wrong number and immediately hang up?
Next time, don’t!
More than 20 years ago, Gladys Hankerson was trying to call her sister in Maryland. She knew she dialed the wrong number when she heard a man’s voice on the other end of the call. That man is now 46 year-old Mike Moffitt. He lives in Rhode Island.
Gladys told him…how sorry she way and then she hung up really fast. Well…it happened several times before the two finally struck up a conversation. Mike finally asked Gladys her name and where she was from and could he help with who she was trying to reach. He figured her repeat calls were accidental. But Gladys disclosed after a few weeks that her son had passed away. Mike was heartbroken for her and the two began to talk regularly. Gladys – who is now 80 – says that he was really nice to her. So she jotted his phone number on a piece of paper and continued to call him. She missed her son. She was lonely and she enjoyed the companionship she felt when she talked to Mike. She also was really heartbroken and Mike had a way of lifting her up and making her feel better.
Fast forward 20 years. The two call each other every few weeks. A 20 year friendship – all because of a wrong number. And they finally got to meet in person for the first time last week for Thanksgiving. Mike was vacationing in Florida with his wife and three kids. He described the miraculous moment on Facebook.
“Didn’t tell her I was coming and her daughter walked me through the door. I announced, ‘I’m Mike from Rhode Island’ and the first words out of her mouth where ‘I’m blessed!!’”
Gladys said it was the happiest Thanksgiving she’s ever had. You can see their picture and Mike's post on Facebook below.
Photo: Getty Images