President Obama posted a final goodbye message to the Official White House Blog today, thanking the American public for helping to shape him into the leader he became and wishing us well. And while the entire letter was heartfelt and impactful, there was one part that stood out to me:

I’ve seen you, the American people, in all your decency, determination, good humor, and kindness. And in your daily acts of citizenship, I’ve seen our future unfolding.

All of us, regardless of party, should throw ourselves into that work — the joyous work of citizenship. Not just when there’s an election, not just when our own narrow interest is at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime.

I’ll be right there with you every step of the way.

The call for us to remember our humanity and to work together toward progress is a reflection of our leader’s honorable character. But that last line — “I’ll be right there with you every step of the way” — is what I needed to see today.

Because honestly, I’ve never felt the way I do right now. I’ve never felt a deep sense of foreboding, a pang of despair, a physiological assault — racing heart, shaking hands, feelings of panic — such as I feel now upon the inauguration of a President. I’ve never felt as though Inauguration Day signals the death of something rather than the growth of something new.

But that’s exactly how I feel today. I feel as though on January 20, 2017, the nation will be attending a funeral rather than celebrating a new leader.

This is not simply because I identify as a Democrat. When President Bush was elected, I was disappointed, sure, but I never once felt as though the man was incapable of performing the duties of the office. He was easy to poke fun at and more than a little doofy, definitely, but I harbored zero fears that the man would do something impulsive to jeopardize our nation.

Take 9/11, for example. I remember it vividly. I also remember tuning in to hear what my President had to say — to soak up his wisdom and his instruction in a time of great fear and uncertainty. Because he was my leader. My protector. My safe haven. As much as I disagreed with his politics (and found many of them insufferable), the man had leadership qualities. I may not have voted for him, but I did not question whether he was truly fit to run the nation. I mean truly, emotionally and mentally fit to serve.

Not so today.

I am, without question, certain that Donald Trump is not fit for the office of the Presidency. I am, without question, positive that the man suffers from any number of emotional and mental disorders that make him a great danger to our nation.

He is inexperienced. He is impulsive. And he could quite possibly get us all killed.

So on the day before his inauguration, I sit here, anxiety-ridden and desperate for comfort, and because you instinctively know what your people need, President Obama, you delivered:

I’ll be right there with you every step of the way.

Thank you, Mr. President, for being our calm in the storm. For pledging to continue to be our leader long after your tenure has expired. I did not vote for you in the primaries, nor did I agree with you on many issues, but I cannot deny that you have been, by far, the greatest President of my lifetime and arguably one of the greatest of all time.

You have been a shining example of what it means to be a respectable person, even in the face of great opposition and criticism. And believe me when I say the majority of the American people will not soon forget your passion, your innovation, your confidence, your intelligence, your grace, your class, and most importantly, your integrity.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Mr. President, for fulfilling your duties to the last second and beyond. You will be sorely missed.