Former state athlete, Douglas Johnson, has been celebrating Christmas for the past eight years in the company of underprivileged children and their families.
Every year during Christmas, his modest two-bedroom home in Lalaguda, also called Little England of Secunderabad, buzzes with activity. There is food in abundance and gifts enveloped in colourful wrapping paper. While every family adorns their house with a glittering Christmas tree, Douglas invites underprivileged children to come and share the joy of decorating the tree. For the past eight years, the Johnson family has been playing host to these children and sharing Christmas with them.
Ask Douglas what prompted him to celebrate in such a way, and he says, “As a child, I never knew the joy of decorating a Christmas tree because we could never afford it. We were a family of eight and my father’s earnings were humble. In those days, a Christmas tree would cost around `100-`150, which was almost like a week’s meal for the family. My siblings and I would visit friends and relatives to see the Christmas tree. My eyes would pop up looking at it. It’s like you want it badly, but you know you cannot afford it. That’s when I decided to celebrate Christmas with children who cannot afford it.”
Every year, his house is thrown open to anyone who wants to celebrate Christmas. “This year, I had an early Christmas celebration. The numbers went up to around 450 people, so I had to celebrate it at the Sacred Heart Church. There was a small mass, children played some games and decorated the tree. Later, they indulged in an elaborate spread, cut a cake and went back with their gifts and goodies,” says Douglas, adding that this bash is held in the memory of his father, Philip Johnson.
A champion of state level relay race for ten years (1987-1997), Douglas has also represented Osmania University Athlete team at the nationals. Currently employed with the South Central Railway, Douglas saves a decent sum from his salary every month for this event and the rest is contributed by his siblings, who are residing abroad.
According to Douglas, Christmas is all about putting a smile on everyone’s face. “For those who can afford it, Christmas is a festival of joy, but for the ones who can’t, it’s a stark reality of their financial condition. There is no better joy than seeing a smile on a child’s face — that, to me, is the real spirit of Christmas,” he says.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Life & Style> People> Christmas Tree / by Dipika Pillay, TNN / December 24th, 2013