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7th September 2016
04:28pm BST
“Tonight, we tucked our kids in bed and my husband and I enjoyed a glass of wine on the deck. We were talking about how excited we were to attend an upcoming wedding in Kalamazoo (where we met and went to college) and discussing what would be the perfect gift for the newlyweds. So, I thought back to our wedding day (nearly 9 years ago) and tried to recall the gifts that had meant the most to me. The funny thing? The gift that meant the very most was still sitting in a closet… unopened.” “On our wedding day, my husband Brandon and I received a gift from my Great Aunt Alison. On the plain white box was a card that read, “Do not open until your 1st disagreement.” Now, 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.”Kathy explained that while the couple argued from time to time, they feared turning to the box as they believed the box held all the secrets to a successful marriage.
“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,’” she writes. “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. 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.”Kathy then explains that the reluctance to open the box often forced them to compromise and make attempts to understand each other. “Our marriage strengthened as we became best friends, partners, and teammates,” writes Kathy. Our curious minds would obviously struggle with such a concept so thankfully they opened the box and exposed its contents. Which were, for all intents and purposes, incredibly simple. The box contains bath gels and two wine glasses. A note to husband Brendan is accompanied by some money and reads: “Brendan, go get flowers and a bottle of wine.” A note to Kathy, also accompanied by money reads: “Go get a pizza, shrimp or something you both like. Get a bath ready.” Commenters are praising the thoughtfulness of the gift and admit that in a crisis, this would be exactly what is needed. So that’s it, maybe the secret to relationship success is simply pizza, wine, and a relaxing bath. We’d take it. Read more:
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