KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A couple married nine years ago says the best wedding gift they received actually sat unopened in their closet until just a few months ago.
Kathy and Brandon Gunn shared their story in a post on the ‘Love What Matters’ Facebook page.
The couple says they received the gift from Kathy’s great Aunt Alison. It was a plain white box with a card that read, “Do not open until your 1st disagreement.”
The couple says they’ve had plenty of those through the years, but they never opened the box.
“I honestly think that we both avoided turning to the box, because it would have symbolized our failure,” the post says. “To us, it 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. So, it forced us to reassess situations.”
Recently, with a wedding coming up, the two sat down and tried to think of a gift for the newlyweds. They realized their favorite gift from their own wedding was the one they never opened.
“Today, we decided to open that box, because I finally had a realization,” the post says. “I realized that the tools for creating and maintaining a strong, healthy marriage were never within that box – they were within us.”
When the couple did open the gift, they found items like wine glasses and notes/money for Kathy and for Brandon. Brandon’s note told him to use his money to buy flowers and wine. Kathy’s note told her to buy pizza and get a bath ready.
“All along, we assumed that the contents of that box held the key to saving a marriage – an age old trick – unbeknownst to us rookies,” the post says. “After all, my Great Aunt and Uncle had been married for nearly half a century. So, we thought the box would save “us” – and in a way it did. That box went beyond what I believe my Great Aunt had intended. It was by far the greatest wedding gift of all.”
