IT may be time to hang up my Twitter boots and call it a day. I've reached the peak and I don't think I'll top it: not only did I get a hashtag trending last week, it made the front page of The National.

Let's go back to the start. Like many people on Wednesday morning, I was dreading the triggering of Article 50. The thought of the end of a relationship between the UK and Europe that I'd known my entire life, and which signified a commitment to the idea of peace in Europe after intolerable war, was very upsetting for me. I have family in Europe and European friends in Scotland – Brexit makes me feel like those relationships are being torn up.

So as the news came through that the EU had formally received Theresa's May's note triggering Article 50, I took to Twitter with a simple wee message to wrap up my thoughts in the moment.

"Dear @DonaldTusk: I am Scottish and I am European. I live in a country that voted to Remain in the European Union. That letter's no mine," I wrote.

I didn't expect that the tweet would go viral and prompt people all over the UK to send their own messages to EU Council president Tusk. Thousands of tweets were sent using the hashtag #ThatLettersNoMine, and The National newspaper put it on the front page of the next day's edition in a nod to the mood of the nation.

Late on Wednesday night I sat down with a cuppa and scrolled through all the messages people had tweeted, and I felt quite emotional. The comments were heartfelt, sometimes desperate, and sad. But they were also beautiful: people with European families and friends weren't afraid or ashamed – despite the best efforts of ultra rightwing Brexiteers to tarnish non-UK nationals – to shout it loudly, and make the case for a better country that values everyone in it.

Philip Adie tweeted a picture of himself and his partner with the message: "Dear @donaldtusk She's Spanish, I'm Scottish, our son was born in Holland and that's Loch Maree. I voted remain, #ThatLettersNoMine."

Martin Keatings said: "My hope for the future is an Independent Scotland and member of EU. An Equal Nation among other equals #ThatLettersNoMine #Scotref #Indyref2."

"Bina" wrote: "Dear @donaldtusk my father is Asian, my mother is Scottish – I was born in Edinburgh, in Europe, in 1973, we voted #remain #ThatLettersNoMine."

And, of course, there were some funnies – "Bazd83" tweeted: "Dear Europe, Please keep my dinner in the oven, don't give it to the dug, Be home soon. Cheers. Scotland #ThatLettersNoMine #ScotRef."

Perhaps the most surprising thing about it was how the positivity overcame the day's obvious potential for negativity. On Twitter, where trolls infiltrate everything, it was wonderful to see their failure to make any impact in disrupting proceedings.

At its best, that sense of togetherness and common values is stronger than efforts to create hatred between people. It was a relief to see that social media can still hold that power.

But it was a particular relief to see it driven by tweeters in Scotland after some less than impressive behaviour from a prominent parliamentarian only a day before.

As MSPs prepared to vote on giving the Scottish Government permission to seek the powers for a second independence referendum, Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson bulldozed her way into the debate in Holyrood with an aggressive tone and snipey attitude. Not only did she appear to mock MSP Joan McAlpine's accent, she then snapped at First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to "sit down".

It was odd, to say the least. The Parliament can be fiery at times, and First Minister's Questions can be quite an event when hot topics come up, but Davidson's behaviour in this instance was in poor taste. It is the unionist parties which continue to make claims about divides in Scotland that don't stand up to scrutiny, and yet their own behaviour is entirely in keeping with the very thing they claim is the problem.

I seem to be writing more and more these days about the behaviour of those who should be setting examples but who instead keep using their platforms in irresponsible ways. In contrast, normal folk are the ones left trying to pull the standard back up despite regularly being scapegoated as the problem.

Ruth Davidson should take note of those who shed Scotland in the most positive, civilised light on Wednesday with their thoughtful approach to a difficult moment. Scotland deserves better than the display she offered a day before.