On this day, I offer my space to another writer, one whose eloquence I’ve admired greatly over the past eight years. I’ve been moved not just by the power of his words, but by the ideas and ideals behind them. 

Toward the end of his last press conference on Wednesday, President Barack Hussein Obama left the press corps — and the nation — with some sobering, yet encouraging words. They are worth repeating: 

“I believe in this country. I believe in the American people. I believe that people are more good than bad. I believe tragic things happen. I think there's evil in the world, but I think at the end of the day, if we work hard, and if we're true to those things in us that feel true and feel right, that the world gets a little better each time. That's what this presidency’s tried to be about.”

Amen to that.