We were blessed with having a George Washington to lead us as our first President

Given his success in defeating the British, his command of the nation’s military, the esteem in which his countrymen held him, Washington could have been president for life, a new king, or dictator.

It’s easy to imagine a Hosni Mubarak, or a Fidel Castro, or a Vladmir Putin, or any number of other leaders throughout history who have refused to relinquish power.

But Washington put down his sword at war’s end. He stepped aside after being elected to two terms as President, establishing a precedent.

Presidents after Washington followed his example.

The presidency has passed peacefully over the last 242 years and 45 presidents, from Washington to Adams, from Monroe to Adams, from Johnson to Grant, from McKinley to Roosevelt, from Hoover to Roosevelt, from Eisenhower to Kennedy, from Carter to Reagan.

Everybody’s got a favorite president.

Likewise, everybody’s got a least favorite.

But agree or disagree with any President — this president, a past president, or one in the future — we should all feel more secure by the ideals of the American presidency.

As much as our government sometimes riles us up, Americans are blessed with a government that regularly experiences a peaceful transfer of power from President to President.

Even when it is a President of one party replacing a President from another party, it’s peaceful.

There are no coups or presidents on the way out refusing to leave the White House.

The President whose term has come to a close peacefully leaves the White House, while the incoming President, who may have been the sitting President’s opponent, assumes power.

From its earliest days, our nation has been blessed with leadership.

Presidents Day was created in honor of Washington, born Feb. 22, 1732.

On that day, his family couldn’t have known then what lay before him.

The same could be said of our future leaders, those yet to be born and those who are just now learning in school about the presidency, about our country’s long history and long future, about a man we were blessed to have as our first president.