A couple had been married for over 65 years, sharing everything and keeping no secrets—except for one. The wife kept a shoebox at the top of her closet and cautioned her husband never to open it.
Years passed without him thinking of it, until the wife fell gravely ill. While putting their affairs in order, the husband brought the box to her bedside.
She agreed he should finally see inside. He opened it to find two crocheted dolls and a stack of cash totaling $95,000.
"When we were to be married," she explained, "my grandmother said the secret to a happy marriage was to never argue. She advised that if I ever got angry, I should stay quiet and crochet a doll."
The old man was deeply moved, fighting back tears. Only two dolls were in the box—meaning she had been angry with him just twice in all their years together. His heart swelled with happiness.
"Honey," he asked, "that explains the dolls, but what about all this money? Where did it come from?"
"Oh," she replied, "that's the money I made from selling the dolls."