I like valentine's day, usually. Ya I know hallmark holiday, show love all year, blah, blah. I like giving gifts and valentines day is always for goof ones like the weirdo cards for adults and stupid gifts like chia pets. My daughter always got something, usually a stuffed animal and candy, she still does. Wife is low-key so flowers and candy, maybe dinner but our schedules are wack and after 25 years of marriage sometimes you're just tired of work and bs and want to chill. I'm pretty grumbly normally and I think she likes that I'm not trying to be that way on purpose. I always got my mom stuff, usually a wise ass card and flowers but I'd sneak in some chocolates that she would deny wanting but would nibble with her tea. My childhood was like living with wolves, constantly barking and biting each other and we gave her a ton of crap she didn't deserve. As I got older it was more fun b/c it seemed so corny but hey it's my mom. I've had years where a break up just happened where she cheated and was like "sucks for you" so I've been there contemplating a .38 dinner.
As a kid in grade school we did the whole "everyone gets a card" and would make mailboxes and find cards for boys and girls. I doubt anyone thought they were meeting their 3rd grade true love but I can recall the kid who was "different" and probably had a shittier home life and the cards were a good ice breaker to at least have a new school friend, I had a few of those in my circle of school chums. In the Marines we got cards for peoiple just to mess with people and it was a good laugh for the day. Loud mouth jarheads getting candy in heart boxes or those "cho-cho-choose you" valentine cards with heart candies. It got a laugh from top and even the XO had a chuckle. Stupid but fun.
I still plan to ctb and maybe this year, so far 2024 is shitty, but I don't want other people to be miserable because of me so I'm one of those "life of the party" guys who ends it. I know it sucks for a lot of people.