Getting the right wedding present can be a difficult task. You've already forked out on your outfit, accommodation and maybe even the bachelor/bachelorette party, meaning you're probably feeling a bit of resentment about the amount you've paid to attend the nuptials. Then, factor in that you have do gift the bride and groom something, and it all seems a bit too expensive, doesn't it? However, rather than just giving the newlyweds a toaster or slow-cooker, one wedding guest got them something genius.
When Brandon and Kathy Gunn got married in Michigan nine years ago, they received a very peculiar gift from Kathy’s great Aunt Alison. On the outside of the box it said, "Do not open until your first disagreement." So for the past nine years, the gift had sat unopened on a top shelf in their closet... until now.
In a Facebook post, Kathy wrote that during the nine years, "there had obviously been plenty of disagreements, arguments and slammed doors throughout." She even goes on to say that "there were even a couple of instances where we both considered giving up." However, one thing remained constant: the box remained closed.
For Kathy, the box came to symbolise something more than just a present. In the post, she reveals that opening the box "would have meant that we didn’t have what it takes to make our marriage work – and we’re both too stubborn and determined for that." For the couple, the box "forced us to reassess situations". When they were arguing, they judged the severity of the situation over whether the box needed to be opened:
"Was it really time to open the box? What if this isn’t our worst fight? What if there’s a worse one ahead of us and we don’t have our box?!? As my Great Uncle Bill would say, 'Nothing is ever so bad that it couldn’t get worse.'"
While they had no idea what was in the box, Kathy believed that it "held the key to saving a marriage – an age old trick – unbeknownst to us rookies." And, despite the fact that they hadn't opened the present, "that box went beyond what I believe my Great Aunt had intended. It was by far the greatest wedding gift of all."
But, it remained unopened, teaching the couple "about tolerance, understanding, compromise and patience."
Now, the box has been opened, and what was in it was amazing. Auntie Alison had packaged two hand-written notes wrapped around money - one was for Kath, and instructed her to use the money to buy pizza, then start a bath. The other note was for Brandon and instructed him to use the money in the box to buy flowers and wine.
Writing about why they finally decided to open the gift, Kathy wrote: "Today, we decided to open that box, because I finally had a realization. I realized that the tools for creating and maintaining a strong, healthy marriage were never within that box – they were within us."
Not only did the Kathy and Brandon get the gift of an amazing date night, but the box also taught them valuable lessons about how to communicate with one another as a couple - and that, my friends, is priceless.
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