The small gifts packed with thought are far more cherished. The reality is that neither one of you is going to know exactly what the other one needs. This is not a time to date other people, but to enjoy preferred activities. It might be with short, blunt answers, heavy sighs as though bothered, or with negative remarks.
Then you meet a wonderful person who is much more conservative than you are.
That does not mean that you will agree with everything, which is perfectly fine. Have his favorite breakfast on the table along with the morning newspaper. Every person needs assurance at some time or another and as long as you can communicate, things will be fine. Find something that you can both be excited about and then attach some type of reward to the motivation.
Being around positive influences and watching someone who leads by example is a great way to learn how to have a good relationship for yourself.