Weddings are happy events, especially if you are a friend to the bride or groom. The excitement begins when you receive the invitation, followed by a slight rush of panic with thoughts about buying a gift for the newlyweds.

With a wedding invitation in hand, Kathy and Brandon Gunn were in a predicament. The excitement at the upcoming event brought along a deep sense of duty. The couple getting married were their friends, so they took it upon themselves to give the perfect gift.

On a mission to devise ideas for the perfect gift, the Gunns sat down to deliberate after their kids went to bed. As a perfect wedding present, it has to be unique, not just some item you could get from the local mall.

As if struck by lightning, Kathy hurried towards the closet. She removed some items that were in the way and finally smiled as she spotted what she was looking for tucked away in a corner.

Gifts are almost always opened immediately after a wedding. The couple enjoys the surprise and excitement of not only the gift itself but knowing who gave it to them. In this situation, some might say that it was rude of the Gunn couple to forget this one little present for over a decade.

A few years back, when Kathy and Brandon tied the knot in Jackson, Michigan, with their family and friends, their halls were filled to the brim with gifts! They had received the typical wedding gifts of dishware, linens, and towels.

They say that a wedding must have something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. The couple was intrigued when they saw the tiny box with a ribbon and a handwritten message on the card.

It was a gift from one of Kathy’s beloved Great Aunt Allison. Kathy was surprised that a gift from her aunt was so tiny and was intensely curious about what was inside.

Across the front of the envelope, in Aunt Allison’s familiar handwriting, read a message that was different from the congratulations and well wishes on their other wedding cards. 

Now, of course, nothing was stopping Kathy and Brandon from just ignoring the instructions and taking a peek into the mysterious card as soon as they got home.

Years later, Kathy would speak with Love What Matters about this exceptional present, describing it as “by far the greatest wedding gift of all.” 

Kathy and Brandon decided together that they would put off opening the box until they truly felt it was the right time. They suspected there was something amazing inside. 

Days, then months and years passed, and the couple experienced life together while the box remained unopened. They faced many challenges together. 

Sure, like all couples, they occasionally exchanged harsh words and slammed doors, and they endured nights where tears were shed. It wasn’t always easy.

All along, Kathy and Brandon assumed that inside the box was some sort of secret trick for preserving a marriage, something Aunt Allison and Uncle Bill had learned in their 50 years together.

Before the time came where they found what was inside, but well after their wedding day, Aunt Allison happened to ask Kathy if they had opened the gift yet. 

Kathy and her Great Aunt Allison had a very close relationship. She was more like a grandmother to Kathy than an aunt. 

The news spread throughout the family that Aunt Allison’s gift remained unopened, and it began to become a joke amongst them all.  

Eventually, it had been so long that Kathy’s mother actually started to get concerned. What if the item inside was perishable or had an expiration date? 

The couple got to thinking and decided that it must be some kind of keepsake from Aunt Allison and Uncle Bill’s marriage. After all, they had been married for nearly 50 years. 

How had they managed to go nine whole years without opening Aunt Allison’s gift? Certainly, they’d had plenty of disagreements in that time period. 

Not knowing what was inside stopped them from opening the gift over a petty argument or something that would be forgotten. 

This realization came to them that night, as they were thinking about their friend’s upcoming wedding. Sitting with the small white box between them, they were struck with emotion. 

The longer they thought about it, however, the more they realized how it had helped them look at their struggles from a different perspective. 

Any time a challenge came up, their resolve to not open the box caused them to put it off until it was something “bad enough” that they absolutely needed saving. 

Over the years, it started to become a symbol of their strength as a couple. The longer it stayed closed, the more it represented their commitment to each other. 

Perhaps it was their competitive natures that kept them going, or just plain old stubbornness, but nevertheless they had made it nearly ten years without opening the box to “save” them.

Buzzing with excitement, the couple carefully unwrapped the little present that had stayed a secret for almost a decade. They couldn’t believe this moment had finally come. 

With the gift finally open, Kathy and Brandon found two smaller packages within. One was addressed to Kathy and the other, to her husband. 

Kathy’s note said, “Go get a pizza, shrimp, or something you both like.” It contained enough cash to order a takeout dinner and maybe a couple of extra treats. 

Brandon also got some cash, but on his note, Aunt Allison had written, “Go get flowers and a bottle of wine.” She’d also included a couple of wine glasses. 

Of course Kathy and Brandon were thankful for their Aunt’s thoughtful gesture, and they called her up to let her know they’d finally opened her present. 

When they told Aunt Allison they had finally opened her present, she was thoroughly amused at how long it had taken the couple to unwrap this particular wedding gift. 

Though it seemed a little crazy at the time, it became clear how much the little present had come to mean to Kathy and Brandon. 

As the happy couple thought back over their years together, they remembered how the present had started to become a token of their commitment to one another. 

It soon occurred to them that other couples might be able to use the lessons they had learned from this beautiful experience. 

Kathy was a member of the Love What Matters Facebook page, and enjoyed their heartwarming posts. They featured stories about the uplifting side of humanity. 

Just a few hours later, Kathy checked her notifications and nearly dropped her phone on the floor. She stared at the screen in disbelief. 

The comment section was full of people sharing what they had learned about marriage, and thanking Kathy for publishing her story. 

It’s pretty amazing how one gift made such a huge impact on Kathy and Brandon’s marriage. They learned some big lessons from the little box.