On Wednesday, November 9th, 2016, Donald Trump was elected to be the next president of the United States. Let it sink in, whether you like it or not, because it is the truth.

I am shocked, appalled, and disgusted with what I have seen on social media following this news. I will not go into details as to what I have read, but I have seen more hate in one day than I ever have before.

However, I am ALSO happy, hopeful, and looking forward to the future of our nation.

And to clarify now, no, I did not vote for Trump. This is not me defending my candidate. This is me being human, and understanding that as humans, and as Americans, we all need to stick together, today and always.

To those of you who have spread such hateful words to your friends, family, and fellow Americans, based solely off of who they voted for in this single presidential election, please learn to have an open mind, and stop assuming.

I know plenty of people who voted for Clinton, and plenty of people who voted for Trump. All of whom I know voted had good intentions in who they were voting for, and had valid reasons behind their vote. The same of course goes for third party voters.

Everyone has their own UNIQUE and PERSONAL reason for who they voted for in this election, and it is their absolute RIGHT to exercise that vote, and to not have to defend their reasoning to anyone.

For many, this election was the lesser of two evils. Some people voted for Trump, because they disliked him less. Some voted for Clinton, because they disliked her less. This is the reality, and we have all known this.

It is one thing to express fear or worry for our country, it is another to insult one another because their views are different than yours.

This country was built upon differences, and it will remain to be a country that flourishes because of those differences. It is what makes America so beautiful, and so unique as a nation.

If you are worried that certain rights will be taken away, such as LGBTQ rights, or the rights of minorities, please remember this is not a dictatorship. It is a presidency, and the future president, just like the presidents of the past, cannot and will not make the decisions on his own.

If you are going to judge someone solely on their vote, I'm sorry to say, but you are ignorant. Not all Trump voters are the same, and not all Clinton voters are the same. Everyone comes from their own unique background, and everyone is their own beautiful, unique person. Recognize that people have different ideas of what would make this country better, but that everyone wants the same thing; to make this country better.

The decision has been made. If you wanted Trump to win, congratulations on the outcome. If you did not want him to win, accept it, he IS your next president.

If you have high hopes for Mr. Trump, let's hope he doesn't disappoint. If you have no faith in him, let's hope he proves you wrong.

Please spread love, and not hate. Let's find happiness in the differences in one another and embrace them instead of shaming and blaming based upon them.

The sun did rise this morning. The sun will rise tomorrow.