Gift giving can be tricky this holiday season. Cash is tight, and it doesn't really seem appropriate to "go all out". The catalogues keep piling up in the mail, but there is something particularly off putting about the flagrant consumerism. It's a tough situation for sure. Giving a gift to your favorite charity or non-profit in the name of a friend or loved one is a wonderful solution to the gift giving malaise. Frequently organizations that you choose to donate to can send out a card letting your recipient know a gift has been given in their name, but if they can't generate this in time, a personal note explaining what you have done is just as nice. Pay it forward this year, and give the gift of giving! (For a list of local organizations to which you could donate visit our website www.brooklinecommunity.org)