When I entered the cherubs program, I wasn’t thinking about secret handshakes. I had bigger worries. How would I make friends? How would I de-stress from the academic rigor?
Little did I know that handshakes would be the cure.
During an introductory conversation with Gigi Licari of Grand Rapids, Michigan, from my instructor group, I realized we needed an icebreaker. My mind went to an immediate solution: a handshake. As we artfully crafted a series of hand and arm movements, I felt the first-week jitters dissipate.
After my success with Licari, I decided to spread my mission of handshakes across the program, greeting new friends with a bright smile and an open palm.
With Ruthie Gravelle of Columbus, Ohio, and Katherine Xu of Wellesley, Massachusetts, I created a three-person handshake that resembled more of an elaborate dance ritual. Rania Raj of London and I managed to incorporate a “Dirty Dancing”-esque lift into our shake. I twisted fingers with Skylar Sachs of Toledo, Ohio, and now greet her with the same handshake every time I see her in a room.
These friends live far away from me. But I know I’ll see them again, certainly before our 40th cherub reunion, and I’m sure I’ll remember the familiar rhythms of these handshakes.
