A duo of friends didn’t realize their routine of high-fiving would one day save one of their lives.
On a weekly basis, two men, Gabe Scott and Andy Gullahorn, leave their respective homes and go for a walk. Mid-point during their walk they’ll encounter the reason for their weekly walkabout, each other. Specifically, they meet up to give one another a high five. Once that is done, they go their separate ways and head back home. Sounds interesting, right?
Well, their interaction is a bit more involved than a simple high five. First, they clap their hands together, snap with one hand, and then high five each other. Their movement is choreographed like a dance routine, only they are not performing and they do their action and usually just keep walking.
It’s a way that they’ve been able to show their support and celebrate their connection, even amid busy schedules.
“Picking up the phone is great, but I’ve got a friend who literally will walk through the rain and the snow just to give me a high five. And I wish everybody could feel that feeling,”
Andy shared.
Both men are talented musicians in Nashville, Tennessee. The two enjoy performing together, and Andy even has his own
website.
Making their friendship more interesting, Andy keeps a record of his high five interactions with Gabe. He has what he calls a “High Five Journal”
Something that makes this story even more intriguing is that this ritual between friends came to save one of their lives!
Gabe suffered from
encephalitis and was hospitalized. As he healed from the ordeal he also lost most of his memory. His friend, Andy, along with many of Gabe’s friends and loved ones, was now rendered nothing more than a stranger. Gabe was understandably feeling a little lost and downtrodden.
But Gabe’s friendship with Andy, as well as their weekly ritual, would prove that all of Gabe’s memories were not lost. When Andy visited Gabe in the hospital, he asked for a high five before he left. Gabe didn’t remember Andy or why a high five was significant, but his body remembered!
Not only did Gabe give Andy a high five, but to everyone’s surprise, he clapped, snapped, and then gave the high five! Gabe didn’t remember much, but from somewhere in the depths of his mind, this special memory surfaced and manifested itself as this special high five between friends.
Imagine the hope that was restored once Gabe and his loved ones realized the potential of what could still be unlocked!
Thankfully, since that time, Gabe has indeed begun to remember more of what was once lost.
What is impressive about this story is the lengths these friends go to in order to see one another. Their high five routine began in an effort to see one another at least once a week. That is commitment and a true display of love for another.
What fun and loving rituals can we bring into our own friendships?
“A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
Proverbs 17:17
“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”
Proverbs 27:17
