We’re curious creatures, so we can’t imagine actually holding onto an unopened gift given to us almost a decade earlier.
Somehow though, it didn’t take a whole lot of willpower for Kathy and Brandon Gunn to refrain from opening a present given to them on their wedding day.
In a post to the Love What Matters Facebook page, Kathy revealed that the gift was given to them by her Great Aunt Alison, who warned the couple not to open it until they had their first disagreement.
Nine years later, when talk turned to their wedding day, the US couple decided to finally open that present.
“There had obviously been plenty of disagreements, arguments and slammed doors throughout our nine years. There were even a couple of instances where we both considered giving up… but we never opened the box,” explained Kathy.
It’s not hard to see why they were so reluctant to open the gift – to them, it ‘would have symbolised their failure’.
So, when they finally did unwrap it, believing it to contain the ‘key to saving a marriage’, they were totally surprised.
Inside the package were a couple of wine glasses, a vase and some bath products, as well as two wads of cash wrapped in notes – one for Kathy, and one for Brandon.
Kathy’s note advised her to use the money to get a meal they both like, while Brandon’s note instructed him to purchase some wine and flowers.
Upon reflection, Kathy realised that, in a way, the concept of the package really did ‘save them’ during their nine years of marriage.
“It somehow taught us about tolerance, understanding, compromise and patience. Our marriage strengthened as we became best friends, partners and teammates. Today, we decided to open that box, because I finally had a realisation: I realised that the tools for creating and maintaining a strong, healthy marriage were never within that box – they were within us,” she added.
It’s easy to see why this post has struck such a chord with people all over the world.
