June 3, 2005
The Honeymoon Box
Last weekend, my older brother got married. As he had met his wife in Australia, and they got married there, it was too much for my wife and I to make the trip, especially after we had just moved. So this weekend we will be in Chicago for a party that my parents are throwing in their honor, along with many other members of the family and extended family that couldn’t attend.
When my wife and I got married, one of our close friends gave us a special present. It was a small, ornate wooden box with a story inside. I’m sure this story is probably older than me, and has been passed around by many people to many newlyweds. But it was a much more distinctive gift than a coffeemaker, toaster, or any of the other wedding gifts we received, and will always be treasured.
Since my brother and his wife are older than us, they already have most of the household goods that a new couple would need. So we have decided to pass down this tradition, and give them their own “honeymoon box”. I’ve posted the entire story below. It’s a bit sappy, so it’s below the fold.
My parents married all those years ago in a small family ceremony in my mother’s family home. Money was almost nonexistent then, so the reality of taking a honeymoon was only a dream for my parents. They said their vows and then both returned to work the next day, and that’s just the way most everyone did back then.
My parents, however, did make a vow to each other on their wedding night. They told each other that someday they would have the honeymoon of their dreams. They promised they would place a dollar in a box every time they made love. They considered it their “honeymoon savings box”, and they knew that, if their love was strong enough, they would one day be able to take a honeymoon form the deposits made to that box.
Times were tough in those days. Daddy worked two jobs to make ends meet and Mother worked just as hard at home raising the ten children God blessed them with. But every time they had time to be together, a dollar was placed in the box, just as they promised it would be.
Daddy never allowed Mother to dip into the honeymoon savings, even though it would have helped out at times. The money would come from somewhere else, but never from the special box they kept tucked away safe in the dresser.
I remember when we were all little and Daddy would come home tired and dirty from his twelve hour shifts. Mother would greet him with a smile and a hot meal. I often heard my Daddy say aloud to Mom that he had a dollar. Mother would simply smile and say “I know just how to spend it!” None of us realized what the story was then.
As we grew older and each one of us married, our parents came to us on the eve of our wedding. They gave us a gift. Inside the package was an empty box. Attached to the box was a card wishing all their love and blessings to our new life and an explanation of what the box was for. We were made to promise that the secret would be safe and we would not share with any of our siblings. It was something that our parents wanted to share when the time was right. Each one of us are now saving for our own honeymoon, compliments of our parents.
On their fiftieth anniversary, my parents finally took the honeymoon of their dreams. They had waited so long for it, and they had saved so much together. I don’t know how much money was in the box when it was opened, but I know that they paid for their trip to hawaii and had plenty of extra spending money. I was so proud to know that they had shared so much love throughout the many years of their marriage.
As they prepared to leave for their trip, I remember my father telling me something that I will never forget. “I am starting another box. It is in your Mother’s suitcase. We are planning a trip to Europe for our seventy-fifth!” You know, I think they just might make it. And thanks to my parents, I’ll always know one thing is for sure: Love can take you right where you want to be.
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I like the story Brad. I’m glad someone didn’t die before the money in the box was used. Maybe you and your wife could put in the first dollar. How much older is your brother than you?
Wow Lucy… That’s a pretty morbid thought! I’m glad nobody died either! LOL…
(BTW, the “story” isn’t about my family, and I don’t know if it is true or not. But it’s a good story nonetheless).
I like the story too. The important part is that plans are worked on daily, not just before such an endevor is to be carried out. The shared moments every day are what make two into one a reality. I like the idea so much I think Lucy and I will start a box for our 50th. I better get started, that’s only 16 years from now. Thanks for sharing part of your family with us.