Bill Tobin

On Christmas, I always remember how an old friend, Bill Tobin, used to include this "Christmas Tree" every year on the Anchorage Times editorial page.  I'm honored to carry on the tradition and reprint Bill's Christmas Tree below as a tribute to our great Alaska predecessors and as a commitment to honor and propagate their pioneering spirit.   (NGP Photo, holding Evangeline Atwood's book: Two years before his passing, Bill invited me to lunch at the Petroleum Club.  I took the opportunity to ask him to put a note in Evangeline's book, which I had purchased on my first visit to the State in 1966.  Here is a video of Bill discussing with the Anchorage Chamber board the history of the Atwood home.  -dh)

MERRY CHRISTMAS

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