It’s not unusual for gifts to be left unwrapped. Sometimes you have a special reason to wait for it, sometimes you can just forget about them, leaving them to collect dust on a shelf.
This couple though had no idea that this forgotten gift would change their lives… Kathy and Brandon Gunn had been a couple since High School. Their chemistry was great and they were happy together for years, when they decided they wanted to get married.
Getting married was a very important decision for the couple from Michigan. They loved each other dearly, but was it too early to take such a huge step?
Doubt had beset them…
At the end, they thought that they should follow their hearts and get married. They were enthusiastic about this commitment and sure that they would be able to tackle any problem that could arise.
They couldn’t do this on their own though…
Kathy and Brandon were going to be married on the first day of September 2007. When the day came, they were so blissful to dedicate themselves to each other in presence of their loving relatives and friends.
However, they were in for a surprise…
The couple had invited many friends and relatives to their wedding. However, among the many guests, there was a loving relative of Kathy, her great-aunt Alison.
Kathy didn’t even know she was going to show up but she was surely happy to see her.
Much to the couple’s surprise, Ms. Alison didn’t have a very normal-looking gift.
Instead, it looked more like a parcel used by a post service, with a note from her. What could that be…
The rest of the night was amazing for the couple: they danced, ate and sang with their friends and families.
It was a great party and they couldn’t wait to live together…
Initially, the weird package of this gift made the couple intrigued about it. However, considering they had so many gifts from so many guests, they almost forgot about it and put it aside.
It was then that Kathy noticed something peculiar…
The note on the parcel was hardly your typical wedding gift note. It was short and casually written.
But it was its’ content that confused Kathy for a split second…
The taped note read “Do NOT open until your first disagreement”. Kathy told Brandon immediately and they had a laugh but then they put it aside, quite curious about it.
They couldn’t imagine what was actually in store for them in that parcel…
Meanwhile, life as a married couple was proving to a very enjoyable experience for Kathy and Brandon. They went along great and balanced the household duties perfectly.
Nothing could go wrong…
It wasn’t too long until the first problems arose for the young couple. Work had made them stressful and there were plenty of times when their communication was tense.
That’s normal, or so they thought…
The young couple had been together for years; thus, they had a solid foundation. They knew that they could solve their problems through communication, so they decided to be more open about their feelings.
It seemed to work initially…
However hard they tried though, their careers were taking a toll on them physically and mentally. This led to even more arguments and tension.
It was then that Kathy thought she had found an alternative solution…
While tidying up their warehouse, Kathy came across the old parcel from her great-aunt Alison. Her note regarding their first disagreement came to her mind instantly.
What could that gift possibly be?
Kathy thought that this gift could be something insignificant. However, she couldn’t stop thinking about it.
One day, when Brandon was at work, she decided to do it…
Kathy was nervous about the parcel’s contents, yet she was also excited.
This could be either completely disappointing, or a great surprise for them.
Momentarily, as she was unwrapping her aunt’s parcel, Kathy remembered her aunt and how caring she was to everyone.
That reassured her and she thought that she should wait for Brandon to come home first before unwrapping the present.
When Brandon came home, Kathy explained to him her reasoning behind opening the gift now. He agreed with her and they proceeded to open the parcel up.
What they’d see would change their lives forever…
As they were removing the tape from the parcel, the couple was shocked. No, the gift wasn’t some key to save the marriage as they initially assumed.
It was something far different…
Great-aunt Alison and her husband had been together for 50 years by that point. Surely, they knew what they were doing when they gave these gifts to the young couple.
They knew that they could potentially save their relationship…
The parcel contained a couple of wine glasses, some bath products and cash- together with notes.
The products seemed quite normal, but it was the notes that made the couple go crazy…
Within the envelope of the parcel, there were two notes, one for Kathy and one for Brandon. As they started reading them simultaneously, they grinned happily.
That was so sweet…
Kathy’s note read: “Kathy, go get a pizza, shrimp, or something you both like. Aunt Alison.
Get a 'bath' ready.” Kathy immediately remembered her great-aunt fondly and smiled with nostalgia overtaking her.
Brandon's read: “Brandon, go get flowers and a bottle of wine. Aunt Alison.” Brandon remembered the sweet old lady.
He hadn’t really spent much time around her but her caring spirit was hard to forget.
Kathy said: “For nine years that box sat high on a shelf in various closets gathering dust, yet it somehow taught us about tolerance, understanding, compromise and patience.”
Kathy said: “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.”
The gifts were both practical and sentimentally valued. However, what the couple really appreciated was the symbolism behind them.
This made them rethink their relationship and they tried hard to solve their problems.
The couple immediately contacted their great-aunt and uncle and thanked them dearly for the gift. They explained how despite the many fights over the years, they had decided to keep that gift until a special moment arose.
That moment had come and was a turning point for them.
Ever since, Brandon and Kathy continue together, happily married and their personal relationship is better than ever.
Let’s hope that they’ll continue like that and, why not, perhaps break the marriage record of their great aunt and uncle.