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Election Day has come and gone, and whether your candidates won or lost — or races are still undecided — it’s time to address how we move forward from here as one nation.

This last year has been especially taxing on our country.

We have seen civil unrest, political divisiveness and families and communities divided — all while in the middle of a global pandemic. Most will agree it has been worse than any other election season in recent history.

Whether you are Republican or Democrat, or belong to any other party, we must all do better.

We must shake the contempt out of our hearts for others who have differing viewpoints and instead be grateful we live in a country where we can have various viewpoints — and voice them. Many others across the world are not as lucky.

We must stop the hateful, rude comments about “the other side” and realize we’re all on the same side. Stop the accusations and demeaning generalizations and instead make an effort to listen to a different perspective from someone with different life experiences.

You will likely find you will learn something new about your neighbors and that you have more in common with them than you thought before.

Remember always that your children and grandchildren are watching and see how the adults around them respond, whether it be as simple as complaining about something while at home or treating others unfairly in public. They pick up on our behaviors, and many will ultimately begin to exhibit the same characteristics they witnessed in those around them.

Instead of being an example of hate, teach your children by your example how to treat others with kindness — how to lift them up instead of tear them down.

At the end of the day, if we’re not helping to rebuild bridges, we’re only helping to divide our country further.