i try to get my mother awesome things for christmas because there isn't much i can do to repay her. memorable things include: a ps2, a big chest of drawers from IKEA that she had mentioned wanting about a year prior, lots of little things like 'coupon good for one free dinner, your choice' etc. this year i plan on giving her my wii with wii fit and a bunch of games since i'm too poor to buy anything and next summer, i'm going to take her up to the family's cottage and give her a week of doing absolutely nothing, all she has to do is relax.
my mother and stepfather continue supporting me when nobody else is. without them, i wouldn't be able to continue living in waterloo, i wouldn't be able to eat or be sane, seeing as my mother pays my prescriptions and everything. both have been so insanely good to me and i'm never going to be able to repay them. i am forever thankful for them.
also, my grandfather used to give me a weekly allowance based on my age. when i moved out and went to uni, he upped it to $200 a month, going up $100 every birthday. that was beyond generous of him and enabled me to do a lot of things i otherwise wouldn't have. although i feel ridiculous for squandering it now.