At age  82, many Americans reside in warm climates, get up each day, play some golf, take a nap, then perhaps decide where to go for an early bird dinner.

President Joe Biden is also 82.  After delivering a heartfelt eulogy for President Jimmy Carter and ensuring that prompt relief is provided for the victims of the California wildfires, he will soon leave the White House where he served for 12 years as president and vice president.

His national public service began in 1972 as a United States Senator. Biden will depart D.C. after six decades with a record of successful international diplomacy and multiple significant domestic legislative achievements.

Unfortunately, his delayed decision to not seek reelection and  the about-face pardon of his son Hunter now dominate the merits of his legacy.

Soon after Biden’s tenure as a senator began, his first wife and daughter were killed in a car crash. His son Beau followed his footsteps,  became Attorney General in Delaware, then  tragically succumbed to brain cancer in 2015.

Despite these tragedies and a lifelong stuttering affliction, Biden persisted and forged many valuable relationships with world leaders and elected officials on both sides of the aisle. Most notable was his long-standing bond and friendship with the late  Senator John McCain. Congressman James Clyburn recognized Biden’s value as a “bridge over troubled water” when his endorsement convinced the Democratic party to make Biden their 2020 nominee for president.

Despite recent questionable decisions, it would be short sighted and historically inaccurate for those events to define Biden’s legacy. Politics is a “what have you done for me lately”  game as Winston Churchill discovered soon after the end of World War II. The country needs to be mindful of that phenomenon in evaluating Biden’s history of service.

Near the conclusion of President Barack Obama’s tenure, he was honored at the White House by the cast of Hamilton performing  “One Last Time,” a sentimental  tribute to George Washington. Whether by a repeat of that performance or some other historical commemorative gesture, President Biden should receive a similar tribute before he too exits the White House “One Last Time.”

He has earned it.

Steve Kramer is a former Assistant Attorney General in Massachusetts.