What the nation needs in order to get through today are the same things that it will need to get through the next four years: a little grace, a bit of love and a lot of consideration.

Whoever won whatever race was most important to you on Tuesday night — and the presidential race was still too close to call at the time this newspaper went to press — a couple of things are for sure: We’re all still Americans today, and we all still have to live together. We might as well try to do so peacefully.

That means being graceful winners and losers. That might mean skipping the victory dance. That probably means extending a hand across the chasm and shaking the hand of someone from the other side. That certainly means — or at least we hope it will mean — dialing back the angry rhetoric, the venomous slurs and the bitter recriminations.

Whatever this nation needs politically, from a relational standpoint, what it needs is a little forgiveness and a lot of forgetfulness.

Much as that loud argument with your spouse last month, things have been said that everyone (should) regret. Let’s just say we’re sorry for that, give each other a hug and try to rebuild.

After all, divorce is really not an option.