Laisenia Qarase Jr says his recent visit to his father’s resting place at his village of Mavana on Vanuabalavu personally brought him closure.

“I am who I am today because of his good upbringing,” Mr Qarase Jr said of his father.

The son of the late former prime minister arrived in Fiji from the US earlier this month to visit families after being away for 17 years.

“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.

“I had the opportunity to go right to our village in Mavana and pay my respects to my father who passed away while I was overseas.”

Mr Qarase Jr said he could not come to Fiji because of COVID-19, “so out of all the siblings, I think I’m the last one to visit his resting place and pay him my respects. That was the highlight of my trip.

“To me personally that brought closure to my grieving for my dad.”

Mr Qarase Jr said he reminisced about his younger days while spending time by his father’s graveyard.