From the Anchorage Daily Planet.  Each Christmas over the years, veteran Alaska newsman Bill Tobin (NGP Photo, formerly Editor of the Anchorage Times) offered his own Christmas tree to readers. In his memory, we offer it today, below:

 

 

 

 

 

 
                                                           On

                                                      This Eve

                                                 Of Christmas,

                                              We Once Again

                                             Decorate A Little

                                       Tree To Say Thanks To

                                 All Of You Who have Blessed

                                 Us With Your Friendship Over

                            More years Than We Care To Count.

                                                          And

                                                    As These

                                              Have Unfolded,

                                           More And More We

                                       Have Come To Realize

                                       That The World Is Filled

                                    More By Goodness Than It

                                    Is By Evil, And That A Smile
 
                             Goes Much Farther Than A Frown.

                                                    We Are

                                              Reminded That

                                           It’s Better To Light

                                     One Little Candle Than

                                 It Is To Curse The Darkness,

                               And That Mostly Has Been The

                           Mission Of This Little Corner Of The

                    Times For All These Years That We Have

                    Been Enriched By The Opportunity To Be

                     With Faithful Readers, Week After Week.

                                                     And

                                               At Almost

                                        Every Christmas

                                  We Have Offered Here

                            The Holy Prayer Of St. Francis

                         Of Assisi, And With Joy We Do So

                   Again, In Hopes It Reflects Simple Ways

                 We Each Could Help Build A Better World:

                                                    Lord

                                               Make Me

                                       An Instrument Of

                              Your Peace. Where There

                            Is Hatred, Let Me Sow Love;

                          Where There Is Injury, Pardon;

                    Where There Is Doubt, Faith; Where

                There Is Despair, Hope; Where There Is

          Darkness, Light; And Where There Is Sadness,

                                                      Joy.

                                                O Divine

                                           Master, Grant

                                       That I May Not So

                              Much Seek To Be Consoled

                       As To Console; To Be Understood

                    As To Understand; To Be Loved As To

                 Love; For It Is In Giving That We Receive;

            It Is In Pardoning That We Are Pardoned, And

                                       It Is In Dying That

                                          We Are Born

                                           To Eternal

                                                 Life.

                                                                                   – William J. Tobin