View from the North 40: Hmphy Valentine's Day to one and all

Valentine’s Day is one of the oddest holidays of the year.

I can remember back in grade school being required to fill out little Valentine’s cards for all my classmates and thinking that this was one of the stupidest, most awkward things I ever had to do. I asked my mom when I was in first grade why I had to give cards to all the kids, including the kids I didn’t know, the ones who were mean and the ones I had no thoughts on at all.

Navigating social norms is difficult enough for 6-year-olds, especially us odd ones, and my mom took the time to explain that I was doing it because I had to, so I...