Instead of a self-serving, boastful address, he offered a moving, compassionate and at the same time uplifting and inspiring speech, acknowledging the losses we've all suffered, not only the more than half a million deaths in the pandemic, not only the millions of jobs lost, of family events foregone, but very simply, "the loss of living."
But then he drew attention to the progress we've made and he announced a stepped-up program of vaccinations, with all adults becoming eligib le May 1st.