Charlotte Lewis Finigan

Well. Here it is. The post I absolutely never ever wanted to make. Just shy of 14 years together, it was time to say goodbye to Rory. In the end, Rory was battling lymphoma, a tumor on her spleen, dementia, light induced seizures, arthritis in her back and elbows, a loss of vision in her remaining eye, and probably more. But even on her last day, she woke up with her tail wagging, a smile on her face, and eagerly awaiting breakfast. Rory was truly my soulmate, my ride or die to the very end. We lived in 9 different homes in 3 different states, and she saw me through the highs and lows of half my 20s and nearly all my 30s. But Rory was more than just special to me. She was loved by a whole village of people who were eager to spend time with her—and often fought for the privilege. She sat in more writers rooms than I even worked in (shout out to Stranger Things and Batwoman), went on three girls’ trips to Palm Springs, was a bridesmaid at my wedding, and was a regular presence at house parties, birthdays, brunches, and more. Honestly, Rory had more friends than I did. She had so much personality and it somehow got condensed into her one remaining eye two-fold. Everyone she met was charmed by her, and I was regularly told by her groomers, nurses, vets, and even local baristas that she was their favorite. She had the best side eye and a resting bitch face that revealed the spoiled queen that she knew she was. That stubborn bitch even defied the vet’s life expectancy for her by a full year and she never stopped trying to steal Donna’s spot on the bed, which she believed to be rightfully hers. I’ll miss her more than I can even put into words. She is a huge part of me—and will be forever—and I’m so lucky to have had her in my life for as long as I did. We all are. Goodbye, Rory Roo, Mayor Cutie of Cutieville, my angel baby, I hope you get all the string cheese you want and enjoy your forever nap. 🩷🩷🩷

I got the flu twice in March. Everyone, including Rory, is over it.

In honor of her 15th birthday, a list of 15 things Rory loves right now (in no particular order): 1. Attention 2. Sitting in the crevice between our couch pillows 3. Second sleep (back to bed after breakfast) 4. Ear scratchies 5. Sitting on Donna’s feet 6. Starting her dinner tantrum at 4pm 7. String cheese 8. Love Island All Stars 9. Digging cushions/blankets/beds for maximum comfort 10. Stealing Donna’s side of the bed 11. Street treats (particularly chicken bones) 12. Belly rubs 13. Playing fetch (only inside and only with her dinosaur plushie or squeaky tennis ball) 14. Being the life of the party 15. Me

January was spent mostly horizontal as I dealt with a pinched nerve, which was probs for the best as it was sub zero weather and also a massive snow storm. But it also included some great date nights,a Halsey concert, a ton of cooking, dogs, and friends.

Sporting event of the year! #westminsterdogshow

So byeee byee twenty twenty five 🩷 (It was filled with high highs and low lows, but I’m grateful to be bringing the best friends and family into 2026).

The post you’ve all been waiting for: The best Rory photos of 2025. They all could have been her photoshoot with @laurenspinelliphoto but decided to show you all Rory got to do this year after we got her bad health news. She traveled to KC twice, spent a week on the Jersey shore, had infinite naps, stroller walks through Brooklyn, playtime with all her cousins, a late night trip to a rooftop bar, car rides galore, a very Mario Halloween, a snowy Christmas, visits from her best friends, and all the cuddles she could tolerate. Honestly there were about 400 more pics on the cutting room floor, and shout out to everyone who made Rory’s year the best it could be. Fingers crossed for even more Rory adventures in 2026.

2025: a year in mirror selfies (never met a mirror I didn’t love).

November was simultaneously the longest and shortest month so far. Featuring: family, friends, and festive fun.

Here we go! Happy Halloween from Princess Peach, Daisy, and Toad — see you on the racetrack 🩷👑🍄

My most Libra trait is my ability to turn the entire month of October into my birthday. 🎂

For the last three years, I have been saying that I “accidentally fell” into health writing, but that‘s not quite true. When I made the decision to have bariatric surgery almost five years ago, it set off a chain of events that led me to where I am now—the proud author of the cover feature of Prevention Magazine’s 75th anniversary issue. You likely know the magazine from spotting it in your local doctor’s office waiting room, but Prevention has been a mainstay in bringing health news and journalism to readers for the last 75 years. As a part of this auspicious anniversary, I had the opportunity to sit down with legend Al Roker for an in-depth interview about the ups and downs of post-bariatric life, what to say to the haters, and how he keeps staying motivated 25 years later. It feels particularly momentous, since not only is Al the first person I ever heard of getting bariatric surgery, but the feature is also my first print magazine byline ever. Pretty sure I can no longer say that I “accidentally fell” into health writing. Thank you so much to Al for sitting down with me and sharing so candidly, @therealalyssaj and Stephanie Dolgoff for making my words shine, @itswaytooearly for making sure Hearst Tower broadcast it for all to see, and the whole Prevention team for helping contribute to this dream experience. The issue hits news stands everywhere 9/2 or read it online now.