Thoughts on autumn, a season of hope.

Fear. We can let it consume us with certainty of failure — and failure we become — or we can turn it into focus, walk across that ladder, and embrace all we can be, all we want to be.

Dogs can - and do - teach us much about the world and how to live in it. One of the greatest lessons is acceptance of impermanence and living in the present.

As a nation, we need to accept - and acknowledge - our faults so that we can grow into a better tomorrow. That, after all, is how we can be the best patriots.