Madam First Lady's Address on her 70th Birthday.
July 16, 2020 State House
Your Excellency The President;
The Acting Official Secretary and Senior Managers;
The ADC, Captain Julian Toganivalu;
Former ADC, Captain Timoci Qele; and
Staff Members.
THE GREATEST GIFT YOU CAN RECEIVE IS “ANOTHER DAY OF LIFE”
Life has a way of showing us that despite its challenges, there are promises of joy every single day. My life is no different.
Turning 70 today, I have been blessed to wake up to another morning, these the 25,550th one.
As I stand here today amongst my family and you, I want to thank God our heavenly father for his blessings upon my life.
I feel so humbled to be able to tell you a bit about myself but also to thank each and every one for organizing this function this morning.
I was born on a Sunday, 16th July 1950. I am the 7th of a family of 12. I came from Rotuma in 1966 and was enrolled into Derrick Technical Institute (now FNU in Samabula), doing shorthand and typing and continues with my book keeping from Secondary School in Rotuma.
I graduated from that course at the end of 1967 and started work in 1968 doing secretarial duties. I left this job after two [2] years to become a flight attendant with Fiji Airways. I left after three [3] years , I found myself back again with my typing and shorthand job and also my book keeping skills with the ANZ Bank. I spent eight [8] years with the bank before I became a full time housewife in 1981.
I got married in 1976. Meeting His Excellency and having our boys was another milestone in my life. Christ’s blessing upon HE and I cannot be summed up in words due to the vastness in them. However a dedicated husband and father really makes the difference. I thank HE for all his sacrifice for not just our family but our nation as well.
All fathers desire to be home in the developing years of their children. HE on the other hand had to witness the boys grow up in stages. I look back and thank God that during those days, His hand was upon our family looking out for HE in the Middle East and me and our boys in Nabua.
We have been married for 44yrs this year and because of work we were apart for almost half of our married life. I was mother and father to our boys.
Today is such a blessing. As I said earlier, standing here with you all I feel so blessed. As I reflect on our world and our Fiji, I understand that there are families struggling.
Our world is struggling to come to terms with this pandemic but I believe that we Fijians are a resilient people, able to hold our own in times of despair, able to look upon the storms of trials and smile, knowing our God will not leave us nor forsake us.
So please stand strong and have faith. This trying times will not linger for ever, but our memory on how we face it will last forever. For me living a long life is about seeing each day through the right way.