January 20 was a good day for the United States of America. Wait, let me revise that. It was a great day for America.

In a head-spinning fortnight, we went from having deluded, deranged domestic terrorists break into our Capitol in a deadly rampage to the restoration of our cherished tradition of the peaceful transfer of power to our new President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

It felt as though we were taking a deep, cleansing breath, the first of many we hope to be taking in the days and months ahead.

The inauguration, albeit under military guard, seemed to mark a return to reality, a place where the truth matters. It was the re-awakening of an America that I recognize. The entire day, from the swearing-in to the fireworks, was like a salve to our nation's soul.

President Biden's message to our nation was direct, “Recent weeks and months have taught us a painful lesson. There is truth and there are lies, lies told for power and for profit. And each of us has a duty and responsibility, as citizens, as Americans, and especially as leaders, leaders who have pledged to honor our Constitution and protect our nation, to defend the truth and defeat the lies.”

“Lies told for power and for profit.” Yes, and lies magnified through the bullhorn of social media, and through “news” networks that survive by sowing the lies that led to the deadly insurrection on January 6.

President Biden recognizes the uncertainty and anxiety of these times. He continued,

“Look — I understand that many of my fellow Americans view the future with fear and trepidation. I understand they worry about their jobs. I understand, like my dad, they lay in bed at night, staring at the ceiling, wondering: Can I keep my health care? Can I pay my mortgage? Thinking about their families, about what comes next. I promise you, I get it.

“But the answer is not to turn inward, to retreat into competing factions, distrusting those who don't look like you or worship the way you do, or don't get their news from the same sources you do. We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural vs. urban, conservative vs. liberal. We can do this if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts. If we show a little tolerance and humility, and if we're willing to stand in the other person's shoes, as my mom would say, just for a moment…. Because here's the thing about life: There's no accounting for what fate will deal you. Some days… you need a hand. There are other days when we're called to lend a hand. ...That's what we do for one another. And if we are this way, our country will be stronger, more prosperous, more ready for the future. And we can still disagree.”

Of course, none of this will magically change overnight. There will be many challenging days ahead for our country. But with Joe and Kamala leading us, we can again become a nation where the truth matters, where character matters, and where we can begin to heal the wounds of the last four years.

Welcome back, America. You don't know how much I've missed you.