When a young couple got married, they received a wedding gift they were told not to open. The aunt who had given it to them said there was only one condition in which they could ever see what was inside. After nearly 9 years, they finally open it and made a stunning realization.
Although Kathy and Brandon Gunn had been married for almost 9 years, they still had one wedding present that had remained unopened. The gift, a white box which sat atop a shelf in their closet, was given to the Michigan couple by the brideâs great Aunt Alison.
It came with strict instructions scrawled across an envelope attached to the package. It said, âDo not open until first disagreement.â The couple was determined to honor Aunt Alisonâs request, but over the years, they refused to open the package for a different reason than she had intended.
Of course, the couple had their fair share of disagreements during their marriage, but they still chose not to open Aunt Alisonâs present. In a post penned by Kathy on Facebook, she explained why she and her husband had waited so long to open the gift.
Kathy admitted that there had been âplenty of disagreements, arguments, and slammed doorsâ over their years as husband and wife. âThere were even a couple of instances where we both considered giving up,â she added, âbut we never opened the box.â
That all changed one night after Kathy put her and Brandonâs 6-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old to bed. With their children tucked in for the night, the couple retreated to their deck to enjoy a glass of wine. They began to discuss an upcoming wedding they were to attend in Kalamazoo, where they had met and gone to college.
While talking about how excited they were for the trip, the conversation soon turned to Kathy and Brandon discussing what present they should get the husband and wife to be. As they tried to decide on the perfect gift for the newlyweds, Kathy thought back to her own wedding day and tried to recall which gifts meant the most to her.
âThe funny thing? The gift that meant the very most was still sitting in a closet⌠unopened,â Kathy wrote. According to Kathy, she and Brandon were âtoo stubborn and determinedâ to open the box. Seeing it as a symbol of failure, they avoided it. âTo us, it would have meant that we didnât have what it takes to make our marriage work,â she explained.
With every disagreement, the gift forced them to reassess the situation. âWas it really time to open the box? What if this isnât our worst fight? What if thereâs a worse one ahead of us and we donât have our box?â they questioned each time they considered opening the box.
âAs my Great Uncle Bill would say, âNothing is ever so bad that it couldnât get worse,ââ Kathy said. So, for nearly 9 years and 3 moves, the box sat high on a shelf in their various closets, gathering dust. But, sitting on their deck and discussing their friendâs upcoming wedding, Kathy and Brandon decided it was time to open the box.
Inside, they found two hand-written notes â one for Kathy and one for Brandon â wrapped around some cash. âGo get a pizza, shrimp or something you both like,â the note to Kathy read, while Brandonâs told him to âGo get flowers and a bottle of wine.â
The gift also contained a crystal flower vase, two crystal wine glasses, bath soap, lotion, and bubbles, all of which were obviously meant to smooth over any ill feelings during their first disagreement. That box, however, contained something more valuable than Aunt Alison had ever intended.
âAll along, we assumed that the contents of that box held the key to saving a marriage â an age-old trick â unbeknownst to us rookies,â Kathy said. âAfter all, my Great Aunt and Uncle had been married for nearly half a century. So, we thought the box would save âusâ â and in a way it did.â
As the box sat unopened, year after year, causing the couple to re-evaluate whether each argument was âbad enoughâ to require the help they assumed the gift contained, Kathy and Brandon Gunn learned tolerance, understanding, compromise, and patience. They could finally open the gift because they realized their marriage was strong.
âOur marriage strengthened as we became best friends, partners, and teammates,â Kathy wrote after realizing she and her husband didnât need the box anymore. âThe tools for creating and maintaining a strong, healthy marriage were never within that box â they were within us.â
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