Laisenia Qarase Jr recently visited his father’s resting place in the village of Mavana on Vanuabalavu, an experience that brought him personal closure.
“I am who I am today because of his good upbringing,” said Qarase Jr, reflecting on his father, the late former prime minister.
Qarase Jr, who arrived in Fiji from the United States earlier this month after 17 years abroad, expressed his joy at being home. “Nothing is better than being home,” he said. “We feel blessed to be back. I’m thankful to meet relatives, and they are all healthy and fine.”
During his visit, Qarase Jr had the opportunity to return to his village in Mavana to pay his respects to his father, who passed away while he was overseas. Due to COVID-19, he couldn’t come to Fiji earlier, making him the last of the siblings to visit their father’s resting place. “That was the highlight of my trip,” he noted.
Qarase Jr shared that this visit provided a sense of closure to his grieving for his dad. He also reminisced about his younger days while spending time by his father’s grave.