My first gift when I left home

This was from my mother and was a total surprise. 

Not only do we probably have a new vaccine, even more effective, but we have a vaccine with more reasonable logistical requirements. If we can pull it together, this will have been a lousy year, a dreadful, no-good, awful year, but a year we will get past, a year we will tell stories about, a year to inspire future generations. 

There are two hysterical German advertisements with older people reminiscing about this year. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54959871