A Mother’s Love: Santos Returns as Lemmy (and Again as Sonny)

From the moment I first met Santos—a tiny Boston Terrier puppy with a heart-shaped nose—I knew we were meant for each other. Our years together were filled with love until, just shy of his fourth birthday, illness took him from me. The grief was crushing, but signs began to appear: feathers in impossible places, songs we shared playing unexpectedly, even other animals reacting to his unseen presence. Then came the call from my Aunt—Santos’s sister was expecting. The moment I saw one of the puppies, a little boy with a “Kiss of God” spot on his head, I knew. He ran straight into my arms and licked my face, just like before. Santos had returned to me as Lemmy.

Lemmy and I had nearly twelve joyful years together before I faced another heartbreaking goodbye. His health declined, and I knew it was time to let him go—while quietly asking him to return once more. I kept my heart open for signs, and they came in dreams, in music, in quiet knowing. When I saw a puppy with a tiny “L” marking on his neck, I recognized him instantly. Our travel to bring him home was delayed, but I trusted Spirit’s timing. This little soul had been born just months after Lemmy’s passing. I named him Sonny.

Now, as I watch Sonny—playful, clever, and full of energy—I feel the familiar love of Santos and Lemmy alive within him. Three lifetimes, one soul, and a bond that not even death can break. My boy has found his way home to me again, each time carrying a piece of our past and the promise of our future. This is not the end of our story—it’s the continuation of a love that keeps finding its way back.