Weddings are always happy and blissful.
The music, the laughter, the food – all the merriment that would spell out that love is in the air.
After the wedding, the couple gathers and opens all the beautiful gifts their guests give.
Among all the gifts that this couple received, this mysterious box was the best for them.
Kathy and Brandon Gunn were over the moon after their wedding. They gathered all their presents and were excited to open each one. But there’s this particular gift they couldn’t open.
It was a box from Kathy’s great-aunt Alison that said, “Do not open until first disagreement.”
The couple from Northville, Michigan, assumed that what was inside was their secret to a lasting marriage since their Aunt Alison and her husband, Uncle Bob, had been married for almost five decades. They thought maybe it was a letter or a reminder of overcoming trials as a couple. So, they decided to follow her instructions and set the gift aside.
It took them nine years to finally open the box, but did this mean they never fought?
Like any couple, they have had disagreements in the past nine years. Kathy said their arguments have evolved through the years: from learning how to live with each other to taking care of their babies.
However, they never opened the box for those reasons.
Kathy did not want to open the box over some silly arguments.
“We didn’t want to ruin the importance of taking that in by opening it after a silly fight,” she told TODAY.
In her Facebook post, she shared that they did not want to turn to the box for every argument because opening the box would have meant they failed.
So instead of running to the box for help, they tried to reassess the situation to see if it was worth opening the box for.
After nine years of keeping it, the couple finally opened the box and were surprised by what was inside.
Inside the box were some bath candles, a vase, wine glasses, and two notes for each wrapped around $200 cash.
The notes were some “instructions” on what to do with the money.
The gift in the box was Aunt Alison’s way of how the couple could make up after their first argument, not knowing she taught them something more.
Kathy said the box symbolized strength between them, especially on their most difficult days.
It taught them about understanding, tolerance, patience, and compromise, which helped them strengthen their marriage and become each other’s best friend, partner, and teammate.
So, what made them decide to open the box? It was simple.
Kathy and Brandon realized that the secret to having a lasting, healthy marriage wasn’t in that box.
The tools they needed to strengthen their relationship were with them all along. The box and what’s inside were only vessels to help them realize that.
Watch the video below to learn more about Aunt Alison’s gift and how it helped Kathy and Brandon in their marriage.
