Meet Patch!
Written by Jonathan Kattenberg on December 31, 2020
Est. Reading: 3 minutes
Meet Patch!
Patch is an amazing little tiger cub I bought for my youngest son Mitch, when he was very young. Patch went with Mitch everywhere.
One day Patch had an accident and lost his right eye. Mitch still loved and cherished him and their bond became even stronger.
Mitch meanwhile had a number of years suffering as a child with a painful ear problem to which required surgery.
As a loving parent, no adult wants their child to suffer, and during his painful experiences, I would try my best to comfort him, whilst one eyed Patch would always be with him, whether it be on a day out, watching an animated movie, or during bedtime stories. Patch would always be with him.
After numerous consultations and medical discussions with the consultant, I was able to get a scheduled date for surgery. Fortunately, at the time, I had private medical and was able to be with Mitch in his own room at the hospital.
Setting the scene and explaining what would happen to a very young child can be challenging, especially when you explain they will go to sleep and may wake up wondering what has just happened.
Here is where Patch plays such an important role; I also explained to Mitch at the time, Patch would also be having a special operation. To patch up his eye, and that I would be helping the doctors and surgeons to help Patch as well as Mitch.
Needless to say when standing by Mitch (as he held Patch), as he was given the anaesthetic and went to sleep, I then took Patch off him and began surgery myself on his little tiger cub called Patch.
I explained to the medical team that I wanted to ensure that when Mitch woke up, Patch would be next to him with a patch which I would sew onto his eye.
Whilst the specialists did their brilliant work on my son’s ear drum, I began sewing.
I couldn’t take away the pain Mitch felt when he woke up, and to this day I still get a lump in my throat thinking about it. But what I can feel rest assured, is that I was there for him and he had Patch.
Why am I sharing this with you, you may be asking, given my son is now 16 years old and taller than me! Me and Mitch were literally going through some of his stuff today and we picked up Patch, which I then realised Patch’s story is so pertinent to 2020.
2020 has been possibly one of the strangest years. Filled with mixed emotions and challenges of varying degrees for lots of people.
Yes, some people found challenges they are still coming to terms with, some lost loved ones, lost business, income and much more, with some unfortunately struggling with direction due to many factors beyond their control.
Yet, some found success, some found themselves. Some even found inner peace, love, rekindled friendships and relationships, even started hobbies new and old.
For some people, they found a realisation of what is truly important and direction which excludes the dependency of materialistic items to bring fulfilment or reason to achieve.
So, as we enter for 2021, I wanted to share with you the story of Patch.
We may experience challenges from time to time, with varying degrees of intensity and at different stages of our lives.
2021 for many may bring uncertainty, but if you are surrounded by people who truly care, don’t judge, and are willing to help you patch up and repair, so you can rise stronger with an inner strength to achieve your aims goals or aspirations whilst faced with uncertainty. No matter how hard it may seem, having the right support can make all the difference to a smoother journey ahead. Regardless of the uncertainty. Why, because you will have the knowledge you are surrounded by people who care about you, and that hopefully, you will care about yourself.
Don’t be scared or too proud to reach out if you feel you need someone there for you. If you don’t have anyone to reach out to, then don’t hesitate to get in touch and I’ll do my best to be there for you all.
I may be just one man, but I have a big heart and strong shoulders.
Wishing you all an amazing 2021 and beyond
With Love
Jonathan
Founder of Walking With My Bear.