His real name isn’t David. He just turned one this past summer, and he had/has cancer and was undergoing treatment at that time. His mother emailed to ask me if I would post my gingerbread recipe last April or May so that she might attempt to do it while on a trip home from her overseas job in the Middle East. It was her son’s first birthday in June; but I understand from subsequent emails that she wasn’t able to make the gingerbread house on that trip… I felt a little bad because I got the recipe out a little late (on his birthday) and since we were on a trip abroad, couldn’t whip any gingerbread up. 
So here is my longshot Christmas pakulo for Christmas 2006… David’s mom, if you are out there and read this, the gingerbread house in the photo above is for your son. If you can manage to email me within 48 hours of this post (by Thursday noon, Manila time), and you can have the house picked up from say, Megamall, I would like to send this completely decorated home, done by the kids at a school that I help at, together with about a kilo of additional candy, for “Davidâ€â€¦ The school made 14 large houses this year, and they were distributed to various recipients including the Tenement School Taguig, PGH Children’s Charity Ward, St. Luke’s Pediatric Ward, Ang Muling Pagkabuhay ng Ating Panginoon Parish School Caloocan, Bukas Palad Foundation, Tondo Medical Center Pediatric Ward. But I reserved one for “David.†I have emailed David’s mom at the address she gave in April but have not heard back – she may have changed addresses or no longer frequents Marketmanila.com. I hope all is better with your son and that this little Gingerbread house will cheer the little one up… If I don’t hear from you by Thursday, I will donate the house to another children’s ward or similar charity…Merry Christmas!
27 Responses
While all your other posts make me salivate or snicker, this one brought tears to my eyes. I am sure every mother out there appreciates this wonderful gesture. If only there were more of you in this world, it would be a brighter place. May God bless you, MM, and your family.
Bless your generous heart, MM. I’ve never really felt the spirit of Christmas until I read your post. Now I’m all warm and lightheaded; such is the power of your generosity…
i hpoe she read s this post.
Merry Christmas MM and God bless generous people like you. = )
Hi MM!
Im so touched that you still remember me and my son (by God’s grace he is doing great now, just like any normal 1 1/2 year old kid). I have e-mailed you privately for my sister’s contact info.
Thank you very much and God bless you and your family!
Grabe naiyak ako. I wish more people are like you MM. More blessings to you and your family.
Hi MM,
God bless you and your family!
Merry Christmas too!
Blog with a heart. Love it, MM. You raised the bar, Dude. Blessings to you and your family all the days of your lives!
Raising a glass of Moet for you now! Cheers to that yeah guys?
Wow and wow, a blog with a heart! And Santa found his intended recipient too. Thanks MM for such inspiring news/offer. Merry Christmas to you and all your readers.
It’s no wonder why you are so blessed.You share all your blessings with others who are not as fortunate.
May you and yours have a wonderful christmas and another blessed new year.
Thanks.
MM,you’re such a sweet soul and such an inspiration!
May God bless you and your loved ones!
MM,
You made me cry too. Thank you for being one of Santa’s helpers and God’s angels.
BTW, your gingerbread post was shared on the prestigious culinary website eGullet.com. They called it the “Ultimate Gingerbread house”. Kudos!
https://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=96340&hl=
Doddie
Geez, what a man. He can cook, he can write, and he has a big heart! Kudos to you MM. “David” and his mon are not just lucky… they’re blessed.
aww shucks MM this is just a tearjerker. you know exactly what the spirit of xmas is all about by making that extra effort to put a little joy in these kids’ lives. when i feel the urge to spend on something expensively useless for myself and justify it with my xmas bonus, i’ll try to keep this post in mind. i wish we could all be as generous as you are.
Very touchy one and is coming out of your big heart, I can feel the message through my bone! David’s mom please respond at your earliest convenience.
merry christmas, MM! may your tribe increase. love your blog that i can’t let each day pass without droping by and read your latest posts.
nakakagutom lahat. am glad David’s mom responded. thank you for making the children happy with your gingerbread houses. if only there are more people like you…..
md or “David’s” mom — Yahoo! I am glad you responded so quickly. I will call your sister today to arrange delivery of the house! Merry Christmas!
to all the other MManila readers who have left such kind comments, many thanks from me, Mrs MM and the Kid as well. However, I can’t help but mention that I must come across on only some dimensions… I can, in real life, be a royal pain in the rear…I have a VERY low tolerance for dumb situations, have a short fuse and a hot temper when annoyed by poor service and I only have a lot of patience in limited areas like gingerbread, pets, etc. I thought I would put that out there, just so you would know… heehee. :)
We can only show one aspect of ourselves at a time, as appropriate. Dear MM, you don’t have to be apologetic for apparently doing a Jekyll and Hyde heehee. Just goes to show that you’re only too human. Haven’t we at one time or another been just as ‘guilty’ of having those traits that you mentioned — and more? I can be quite a (*bleep*bleep*) myself when provoked. (evil grin) Oh boy, the ‘ogre’ who can “be a royal pain in the rear…and has a VERY low tolerance for dumb situations, has a short fuse and a hot temper when annoyed by poor service” is (surprise, surprise!!!) really an ol’ softie with a heart of gold. From one pusong mamon to another — hey, it’s okay. I am glad that this story has a happy ending: the little one will get his house, and is getting well. And to md, his mom, stay strong, your beloved child needs you. My heart goes out to both of you.
Dear MM, idol ka talaga: intelligent, well-traveled, a really cool dad, great to have around the kitchen (understatement!!), and so expressive — you have a funny easy way with words. It is wonderful how you touch people’s lives in so many ways — from virtually taking them by the hand to whip up gourmet dishes, make such awesome floral arrangements, set up whimsical gingergread houses, trim homes with fairy lights and cheery otherwise kitschy balls, debone chickens, or even make their own parol. Each post is truly an eye-opener. In Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol,’ Tiny Tim said, “God bless us, every one!” And indeed He has, with you, as He has blessed us with our families and friends. Here’s to even more lovely, lively posts! You really make my day — thanks so much.
God bless you Marketman! Totally agree with Consol’s statement above. Your family is blessed to have you. Merry Christmas from New Zealand!
Woohoo! MarketMan, you are such a wonderful person. An inspiration indeed. Merry Christmas!
To David,
Eventhough you can’t read this yourself at this time, I wish you a very Merry Christmas! We all you wish you a good life ahead of you!
You made me cry with your post on David MM. I am glad to hear David is doing fine according to her Mom MD. Thanks for inspiring all of us, not only how to enjoy life but in sharing as well. Merry Christmas to you, Mrs MM and the Kid.
MM, it is precisely those dimensions of you that make you such a great guy! While we all wish we could be perfect in every aspect, I think a truly “perfect” person would be boring beyond words. It’s admirable that, as much as you don’t hold back when you feel you deserve to indulge, you give just as freely (if not more) to others. But we’re not loyal readers of your blog just because we want to read about your charitable works; it’s your rants, raves, ramblings, and relentless PURSUIT (as opposed to attainment) of perfection that keeps us coming back for more.
Hi MM,
MM, I just received an sms from my sister that she already received the ginger bread house and the other gifts that you sent for my son. Again, thank you very much.
I told my sister to capture on video the moment when they show the gingerbread house to my son, the laughter and the twinkle in his eyes would be priceless (unfortunately, we would be spending the holidays far from each other). Kulasa you are right, we are indeed blessed in having MM crossed our path.
To Lei thank you for your message and to Marketman, Mrs. Marketman and the Kid, Happy Holidays! God bless your family! May you continue to touch lives.
Just had to add to the messages and tell you how heartwarming the whole gingerbread house gesture is.
God bless you and your family. May you have a Merry Christmas. Thanks for sharing your time, talent and treasure with your readers.
God bless you David! And God bless you Marketman for truly knowing what Christmas is all about. A blessed Christmas to you, Mrs. Marketman and the Kid.
Such a generous big hearted man….Maayong Pasko sa imo!
I’m really so happy for “David.” You’re such an inspiration MM. Well, as the saying goes, “nobody’s perfect,” the important thing is we know how to be good and how to accept our faults.
Happy Holidays to you and your family!!! Mabuhay ka!