My dog, Bella, was given a toy snowman for Christmas by the students at a local middle school where Bella is a regular visitor to the classroom. This is her favorite assignment as a therapy dog. Once the kids gave it to her, she swiftly began dismembering it and we sang a new version of the “Frozen” song:  “Would you like to eat a snowman?”

Now that the holidays are over, we have bits of the stuffing on the rug, a carrot nose under the couch, and a toy that now looks like many of us feel after the holidays. Deflated. But if you could see Bella’s joy as she ripped the toy apart, the concentration and pleasure as she extracted the stuffing from its belly, you’d laugh and maybe agree with me that this phase is okay too. The preparation is done, the guests have gone home, the tree is shedding its needles, and today it’s overcast and gray. Bella doesn’t mind. She thinks it’s the perfect time for a nap, until she can find another toy to destroy.