Where stolen memories, skybooms, and the promise of a new puppy remind us that love doesn’t divide. It simply learns another name.

Content Notes: Grief and pet loss, discussion of theft, upcoming surgery, severe thunderstorms, chronic illness and disability.

Welcome to The Crippled Cryptid.

Disability, chronic illness, service dogs, and survival without the performance.

If you’re new here, hi.

I’m Luna Bean.

Medical alert service dog.

Certified Good Girl.

Full-time nervous system supervisor.

Mama’s body is very dramatic.

My job is to notice before it steals the spotlight.

I alert to migraines.

Seizures.

Heart rate spikes.

Muscle spasms.

And any vibes suspicious enough to deserve a second opinion.

I interrupt spirals.

I apply Deep Pressure Therapy like it’s a sacred ritual.

Because you know something? It is.

I’m learning to retrieve what Mama drops when her hands stop cooperating.

Some people call me a dog.

Others call me medical equipment.

Mama calls me her freedom.

I consider myself a very important partner.

Maybe even a sidekick.

Sometimes she says I have “Main Character Energy.”

Whatever the fluff that means.

Most days move slowly. Some happen from Bed Jail™.

That’s okay.

I’m excellent at staying close and making sure Mama doesn’t drift too far away from herself.

There’s also M&M.

Mama #2.

Professional belly-rub distributor.

Treat dealer.

Emotional support human.

She belongs to both of us.

Don’t argue with me. I’ve already decided.

And don’t forget about the Yard Yeti.

Mama’s little brother.

Somehow also the tallest creature in the house.

My best friend.

The one who shouts “Lulus!” the loudest every single time he walks through the door.

He gets the biggest borks.

The highest boings.

The fastest tail waggies.

I love him very much.

Our little pack has been growing lately.

And I love that too.

This space is for chronic illness without shame.

Disability without performance.

Care without conditions. Ever.

(And yes… there will absolutely be dog fur.)

If you’ve been here before, welcome back.

If you’re new…

You’re safe here.

Welcome to the Lunatic Café.

Today’s special?

Friday Takeover.

Sit. Stay. Let’s Catch Up.

Hi! Hello!

You made it through another week.

I’m proud of you.

If you didn’t already know…

Fridays are my favorite.

It’s the day I get to tell you everything that’s been happening around here.

Sometimes that includes the alerts Mama pretended not to notice because she thought she could push through.

(She couldn’t.)

Sometimes it includes treats.

Sometimes surprises.

Sometimes very important household announcements.

Because obviously all major family decisions require my approval first.

Before we continue…

Go get yourself some water.

And something to eat.

Do not be like Mama.

Mama insists coffee counts as a meal.

I’ve checked at least one hundred times.

Coffee is not a meal.

It can join a meal.

It can come after a meal.

It can even become dessert.

It cannot be the whole thing.

Around here, staying alive is kind of important.

Don’t worry.

I’ll wait.

I’m exceptionally good at waiting.

In This Week’s Headlines…

This week has been…

A lot.

We’re getting everything ready for Mama’s surgery on July 9th.

That’s a really big deal.21qa

But today isn’t about that.

Today…

We have breaking news.

The rumors are true.

I’m getting a baby brother.

Before anyone starts worrying…

Nothing about this changes how much we love Bear.

Nothing ever could.

Bear was my best friend.

He was the first dog who taught me how to be a dog.

He showed me how to play.

How to explore.

How to love my family.

Mama says our hearts don’t work like apartments.

Love isn’t something that has to move out before someone new can move in.

Bear still has his room.

My baby brother is just getting one of his own.

He’s part Great Dane.

Part Anatolian Shepherd.

Which means he’s basically going to arrive looking like someone accidentally crossed a puppy with a small horse.

Mama keeps saying that because he has spots…

He’s going to be my first cow.

I cannot wait to have my first cow.

Mama says I have to keep one tiny secret for just a little longer.

I’ll introduce my baby brother properly when he finally comes home. He deserves a grand entrance… and I haven’t finished teaching him how to pose for the camera yet.

Until then…

You’ll have to settle for a photo.

…

Or maybe three.

Mama is very bad at taking just one puppy picture.

The Not-So-Great News

Mama #2 had her phone stolen at Costco.

They were shopping for our Fourth of July party.

We’re having Grandpaw and part of the family over tomorrow.

(We’re still accepting applications for more paw-themed family titles.)

They loaded groceries into the car.

Turned around.

And somewhere in those few minutes…

Her phone disappeared.

I want everyone to know that if I’d been there…

I would’ve stared at the suspicious person very intensely.

Because I’m a Good Girl.

Good Girls don’t bite people.

Even when people forget how to keep their paws to themselves.

Phones are funny little rectangles.

Most people think they’re replaceable.

Sometimes they are.

What lives inside them isn’t.

Mama #2 thought she’d lost every picture she had of Bear.

Every picture of me.

Messages from people she loves.

Messages from people who aren’t here anymore.

Conversations you don’t realize become priceless until they’re all tucked inside one little screen.

Thankfully, replacing the phone wasn’t nearly as expensive as everyone feared.

But replacing a phone…

Isn’t the same as replacing the feeling that someone violated your trust.

They reported everything to Costco.

They tried tracking it through Samsung.

Whoever picked it up turned it off almost immediately.

That’s how they knew it hadn’t simply been misplaced.

It had been taken.

I hope whoever has it remembers that sometimes what you’re stealing isn’t just an object.

Sometimes you’re stealing someone’s memories.

Current Weather Report

If anyone needs me…

I’m currently hiding under the dining room table.

Mama says there are severe thunderstorms.

I say there are skybooms.

My professional findings remain unchanged.

Skybooms are rude.

Thanks for spending another Friday with me.

If something here felt familiar…

You’re not alone.

If today asked too much of you…

It’s okay to rest.

You don’t have to earn care.

You don’t have to prove pain.

You don’t have to be productive to deserve kindness.

I’ll be right here.

Watching Mama breathe.

Listening for the quiet changes.

Ready to alert.

Ready to ground.

Ready to curl up beside her whenever she needs me.

Drink some water.

Eat something besides coffee.

Tell someone you love them.

And if you happen to find a really good stick…

You know who to call.

Until next Friday,

🐾 Luna

(on behalf of Mama)

🖤 Mama Notes

Before I let Luna hand the keyboard back, I wanted to say thank you.

I know introducing a new puppy might stir up big feelings, especially if you’ve been here since Bear. It certainly has for us.

This little guy isn’t here to replace Bear. No dog ever could. Bear helped shape our family, and he helped shape Luna into the incredible service dog she is today. His pawprints are permanent.

This puppy is simply the next chapter in a story Bear already helped write.

When he finally comes home later this month, we’ll give him the introduction he deserves, complete with his name, his personality, and undoubtedly far more photos than any reasonable person needs.

(If you’ve met me, you already know “reasonable” has never been my relationship with puppy pictures.)

Until then, thank you for celebrating this next adventure with us while continuing to hold space for the ones we’ve loved and lost.

There’s room for both.

Always.

Love,

Mama

© The Crippled Cryptid

Disability. Honesty. A little chaos.

(Absolutely dog fur and puppy love.)

🔗 https://linktr.ee/skylanarissa

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If you’d like to support the long, unglamorous work of survival, accessibility, and mobility, you can do so here:

💜 https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-skys-journey-to-health-and-mobility