Hillary Clinton has made her first public remarks since her concession, saying she's wanted to curl up "and never leave the house again".
Following last week's shocking US presidential election, Clinton appeared on Wednesday night at Children's Defence Fund's Beat The Odds Gala at the Newseum in Washington, DC.
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Clinton admits disappointment at election loss
Hillary Clinton speaks publicly for first time since her surprising loss to Donald Trump in the US election.
She began her speech by stating that appearing at the gala "wasn't the easiest" for her.
"I will admit, coming here tonight wasn't the easiest thing for me," said Clinton.
"There have been a few times this past week where all I wanted to do was curl up with a good book and our dogs and never leave the house again."
Clinton went on to acknowledge the disappointment of many Americans following the election.
Though she won the popular vote, she lost the electoral vote 232-306, in favour of now-President-elect Donald Trump.
"I know many of you are deeply disappointed about the results of the election - I am, too, more than I can ever express," she said.
"But as I said last week, our campaign was never about one person or even one election.
"I didn't get into public service to hold high office ... but I did decide to be an activist, to use my law degree to help kids."
In the speech, that lasted for just over 20 minutes, Clinton also quoted Martin Luther King Jr: "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."
"Now sometimes it can feel awfully long," she quipped, to laughter.
She criticised the policies of Trump, though she never mentioned him by name, saying there are children "who are afraid today".
"Like the little girl I met in Nevada who started to cry when she told me how scared she was that her parents would be taken away from her and be deported," she said.
"No child should have to live with fear like that. No child should be afraid to go to school because they're Latino or African-American or Muslim or have a disability. We should protect our children. We should help them love themselves and love others."
She said she "hoped to have had the opportunity to build on the progress that President Obama has made", but remains hopeful for the future.
Above all, Clinton emphasised that "America is worth it" and to "never, ever give up."
"I know this isn't easy. I know that over the past week a lot of people have asked themselves whether America is the country we thought it was," said the former secretary of state.
"The divisions laid bare by this election run deep. But please listen to me when I say this: America is worth it.
"Our children are worth it. Believe in our country, fight for our values and never, ever give up."
Reuters with Georgina Mitchell