'How I Met Your Mother' Season 9 Spoilers: Why is Ted telling this story? Vote in our poll!

How I Met Your Mother will air its series finale on Monday, March 31 with a special one-hour episode. The installment will conclude the sitcom after nine years and will bring to an end the epic love story of Ted Mosby, who has been telling his two children (who we now know are named Penny and Luke) in the year 2030 the story of how he met their mother. But why did he pick that particular time to tell the tale?

Series co-creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas said earlier this month that fans would find out why Ted chose this specific time to regale his children with this absurdly long story. Fans' theories have ranged from depressing to cheerful and everything in between.

Some believe that The Mother is actually dead in 2030, and Ted decided to tell his children everything that happened that led to their meeting. Others think Ted might be sick, and he wants his children to know the story before he passes away. Still others think that it is Ted and The Mother's anniversary and he is celebrating by telling the story (if that's the case, then he's REALLY late for dinner).

We've decided to compile a poll to give you all the chance to let us know your theories. We've included our own thoughts in there, but feel free to add your own thoughts and ideas to the comments section below if you think there's anything we've forgotten.

P.S.: We really hope the reason is a happy one.