They looked just like twins. It was like they were married because they slept, ate, and even watched shows together. Max followed my son everywhere he went, tail moving and ears perked up as if he understood everything.
I loved it at first. Seeing them get along was like magic.
Then little things began to happen.
At night, toys moved around. Treats that were put high up on shelves would get eaten. My son began to say strange things, like what Max “told him.” It was cute at first. Not harmful. Do you agree that kids have wild imaginations?
He said some things he shouldn’t have, though. About people we didn’t talk about before. About my dad, who died before he was born.
I felt a cold chill run down my spine every time he said something new. It wasn’t just what he said that kids shouldn’t hear; it was also how he said it. His eyes would get bigger and his voice would get more serious, as if he were getting the information from someone else.
There was a first time. I was drinking coffee at the kitchen table when my son Noah came up to me with a confused look on his face.
“Mom, why do you never talk about Grandpa?” He looked at me with those innocent eyes and asked.
I went cold. Grandpa? Noah had never met my dad. He had died a long time before Noah was born. We didn’t talk about him much because his death brought back too many memories and pain.
“How do you know about Grandpa?” Even though my heart was beating fast, I asked with a cool voice.
Noah just shrugged. “Max told me.” He says, “Grandpa is happy up there, and you’re sad because you miss him.”
I was short of breath. Max? The dog? Noah had never said something like that before. He wasn’t even old enough to understand what death was, let alone know about Grandpa. He was only four years old. We didn’t talk for long because I tried to get his attention on something else, but that feeling of dread was already there.
Things only got worse after that. Noah began to talk about stranger and stranger things. He would talk about family members that lived far away and that I hadn’t talked to in years. Somehow, he seemed to know things about me that I should have known myself. Then there were the little mistakes. There were times when I was sure I had left treats somewhere, but they were gone. People would move toys around the house, and Noah would act like he hadn’t done anything.
I tried to ignore it. Maybe he was just being a kid, with his big dreams and love for Max. However, there were times when I felt very uneasy, especially when Noah said something so detailed and personal that it made my blood run cold.
As I cleaned his room one night, it all came to a head. Noah had been outside with Max, so I used the time to clean up. That’s when I found the tablet. I was a little shocked to see it lying on Noah’s bed because he wasn’t supposed to have it by himself. I picked it up out of interest.
My heart stopped when I saw what was on the TV.
There was a video. Noah and Max were in a video, but it wasn’t the typical film of a kid and their dog having fun. This movie, or footage, was not at all what it seemed to be.
Max was curled up next to Noah in the living room, as he always did. I saw something I couldn’t explain, though, as I watched. Noah didn’t talk to Max like he usually did. Not at all, he was hearing. Max as if the dog were talking to him in a language that only Noah could understand.
I watched the movie over and over again, trying to figure out what it all meant. But it was there, easy to see. Max’s tail moved slowly and rhythmically, and Noah spoke as it did so. Mama, Grandpa says you need to be brave. He is happy that you have kept the family together.
It broke my heart. Tears came to my eyes. Daddy? How did my son know that? Max is a dog, so how could he tell him these things?
I was feeling dizzy. When I put down the screen, my hand shook. This wasn’t just a normal child’s dream. Something was going on here that I couldn’t figure out.
The days that followed were a blur. I kept thinking about the tape and Noah’s increasingly strange comments. I began to feel like I was going crazy. Was this really going on? Did I really want to hold on to my dad’s memories so much that I was putting them onto my son?
Finally, I chose to talk to Noah about it. He liked sitting in the living room, so that’s where I put him down. Max was lying at his feet.
I asked Noah in a soft voice, “Tell me the truth.” Is Max lying to you? There must be something unique about him that I don’t know.
Noah looked at me with those sweet eyes that made me feel like he was my little sparkle of happiness. “Max says he’s a good dog, but he’s also a messenger,” Noah said without much thought. “I’m going to see Grandpa soon,” I said.
My heart beat faster. It seemed like everything was spinning around me. “Noah, what do you mean?” Grandpa? “How?”
Max was curled up at Noah’s feet with his eyes half closed. He looked happy. “Mom, Grandpa is still here. He’s just excited for you to feel good again. “He says he’s always there,”
I did not understand what to say. It was hard for me to make sense of this. Was my son getting in touch with something that shouldn’t be possible? Did this have something spiritual to it that I couldn’t figure out?
I couldn’t sleep that night. Like a heavy blanket, everything that had happened fell on top of me. I needed help but didn’t know where to look for it. I’ve never believed in ghosts or other magical things, but this was really strange.
I chose to do something different the next day. I scheduled a meeting with a kid psychologist in my area. It was important for me to know if Noah’s actions were just made up in his mind or if something deeper was going on.
Dr. Lara, the therapist, listened carefully as I told her everything. Which I liked was that she didn’t just ignore me. She instead asked me about Noah’s actions, what he was saying, and his relationship with Max.
“Have you seen anything strange about Max?” she asked in a serious tone.
Besides the fact that my son acts like he’s in a dream with him, what else? I tried to laugh it off but failed as I said, “No, not really.”
Dr. Lara gave a small smile. “What you’re describing might be a sign of deep grief.” It’s possible that Noah is sending you a message from inside your heart. Little kids are very observant, even if they don’t fully understand what they’re picking up. While kids are dealing with strong feelings, animals, especially dogs, can sometimes help them feel better. Max is always by Noah’s side, which could be a way for Noah to deal with his sadness. He might not be talking to him so much as Noah feels like he is linked to something deeper.
I wasn’t sure if I should be glad or more confused. But what Dr. Lara said worked. They helped me see that I wasn’t the only one who was sad. Even though he didn’t fully understand what was going on, my son could feel it too.
A few days later, Max was sitting next to me in the park, and Noah was playing with his friends. As the sun went down, I looked at my son’s face and felt a strange peace wash over me.
Max was not only a dog. He gave Noah a way to connect with something I couldn’t see but could feel in my heart. I knew what he meant at that moment. It could have been because I loved my dad or because Max had been there for us through everything.
Noah wasn’t talking to my dad from another world. He was talking to Max, who was the memory of him and the love and bond that stayed in our hearts. It was a call to get better. A word that love was still there even after loss and would always be a part of us.
It’s possible to find the answers we need right in front of us, in our minds, in the strangest places.
So, I let go of my worry, my need to understand everything, and my fear. I learned that sometimes the best way to heal is to accept the unknown and trust the journey, not to have all the answers.
When you’re feeling lost, unsure, or confused about a connection in your life, remember that it’s not always about knowing everything. Sometimes, it’s about trusting that the pieces will fit together when they’re supposed to.
If this speaks to you, please share it and don’t forget to like and comment. Let’s keep talking about the links between us that we can’t see.