When a couple is about to get married, we will often buy them a gift to let them know we care and to get them started on their new life. It is not unusual to do this but the way that we do it may sometimes seem out of the ordinary. Sometimes it may have sentimental value and we may let that sentiment speak in a way that words can’t.
One of the more unusual wedding gifts that we heard about was given to this couple. There was a lot of mystery that surrounded it because their Aunt Allison had told them they were not allowed to open the gift until they had a disagreement. They ended up leaving it on the shelf for nine years and finally, they decided it was time to open it and see what was inside.
When Aunt Allison gave them the package, they said they would follow the wishes and keep from opening it.
Over the years they have had some small fights and on occasion, they may have even thought about giving up. They refused to crack the box open for a number of reasons and they held onto it.
Kathy, the wife, explained the reason they held onto the package instead of opening it in a social media post:
“There had obviously been plenty of disagreements, arguments and slammed doors throughout our 9 years. There were even a couple of instances where we both considered giving up… but we never opened the box.
“I honestly think that we both avoided turning to the box, because it would have symbolized our failure. 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. 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.’”
One night things changed. Brandon and Kathy put their two children to bed and were enjoying a glass of wine together. They started talking about a wedding they were going to attend in Kalamazoo and eventually, the conversation drifted toward where they met.
In the middle of the excitement, they started to talk about what they could purchase the newlywed couple. Kathy then thought about their own wedding day and the gift that meant the most to them.
“The funny thing? The gift that meant the very most was still sitting in a closet… unopened,” Kathy said.
Even though they had moved houses three different times, the package stayed in the closet for nine years. Perhaps they were frightened to open it because they thought it would be only in a bad situation.
When that evening came, they decided it would be a good idea to open the old gift and see what they could give to somebody else.
There were two handwritten notes on the inside, one addressed to Kathy and one addressed to her husband.
Go get a pizza, shrimp or something you both like,” the note to Kathy read, while Brandon’s told him to “Go get flowers and a bottle of wine.”
A crystal flower vase was also inside along with two wine glasses, lotion, bubbles and bath soap. It was the entire package that was designed to help them weather any storm they may face.
The material objects were not really what meant the most, it was the gesture that really made an impact.
“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,” Kathy explained. “After all, my Great Aunt and Uncle had been married for nearly nhalf a century. So, we thought the box would save ‘us’ – and in a way it did.”
The couple learned how to exercise patience by waiting to open the box rather than opening it at the first opportunity.
They were happy that they didn’t open the box when they were struggling but they did it when their marriage was at a high point.