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Recently, it was my pleasure to welcome Nebraskans to Washington, D.C. to celebrate the 58th inauguration of the President of the United States.

My husband Bruce and I held a reception for visiting Nebraska families at my offices in the Russell Senate Building, complete with coffee, hot chocolate, and cookies. From the longhorns in the conference room, to the painting of the Sandhills, to the piece of the court from the Nebraska national volleyball champions in the reception area, my office has plenty of reminders of Nebraska to make it feel more like home.

None can compare to the warmth of the Nebraska families I met last week.

They came from all across our state, from Grand Island to Omaha, from Lincoln to Scottsbluff. Some were old friends, like our neighbors from Cherry County. Others we were thrilled to meet for the first time. My office had 400 tickets to distribute to Nebraskans wishing to attend the swearing-in ceremony; my staff received more than 800 requests.

I was delighted to see so many Nebraskans walking the halls of the Senate, chatting with one another after their long journey. Nearly 1,400 miles separate Nebraska from our nation’s capital. Despite the travel, they talked excitedly about the reason for their visit: the inauguration of our new president, Donald J. Trump.

Every four years, no matter the party and whatever the weather, we gather to observe this event that is, for us, fairly ordinary. 

For the world, it is extraordinary.

A different party came into power, but no tanks rolled down our streets. A new president entered the Oval Office, but no refugees fled overseas. Americans are accustomed to the peaceful transfer of power. We’ve had them since John Adams handed the reins to Thomas Jefferson, his rival and the leader of the opposing political party, in 1801.

This is rare in much of the rest of the world.

Consider: recently, the African country of Senegal sent soldiers into neighboring Gambia to force its president to hand over control to the winner of the national election. Such turmoil is tragic. Sadly, it has been common throughout human history.

America’s orderly, peaceful transition of power from one president to another is a profound blessing. We expect it, but we must also be grateful for it. Everything about January 20, 2017, is a part of that blessing of liberty.  

The inauguration event reminds us that our country is, at its core, profoundly different from the rest of the world. We were founded upon the idea that free people are capable of self-government, that they can, by their own industry and courage, achieve the environment in which the human person can flourish, as much as one can, this side of heaven.

You could say Americans have high standards in this regard. Let us hope we never lose them. Our American idea has endured some tough times these past 241 years: wars, political crises, catastrophes, and the storms of competing philosophies, some fair, some foul. Yet that American idea is still standing, a beacon of hope for us and for generations to come, here and abroad.

It needs our help to remain standing. 

Americans across our country did their part by participating in our celebrated, peaceful transition of power. We must continue to do this in the time to come.

Thank you for your participation in our democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.