Sonasi Manu Po'uha "Pa"

Very few people enter your life and leave such a great impact on it. I have been blessed to have such people in mine. One of which, is Sonasi. July 2, 2009 at about 3 o'clock in the morning he left this life behind with a great legacy to be carried on by those who knew him. Pa, as he was known by his children and grandchildren, was a mountain of a man. I was blessed to be named after his daughter Salote. He always called me "Lalu" and would always call me over at family things and I'd sit on the floor beside him and he would just put his hand on my head. I knew I was loved even if it was never said, it was shown. When I was preparing to go on my mission, he told me to come to the temple and do a session with him. I attended a session at the Salt Lake temple with my mom and I thought that I missed the session he was attending because I did not see him. When the session began I heard his voice. It was a wonderful experience. After he invited me into one of the offices of the Salt Lake Temple and gave me fatherly counsel, as my father had already passed away. He told me that he raised his daughters to be smart with money, time and talents so as to bless other people. He spoke on how he raised them to survive a month on just $10.00. He raised them to be confident and told me that I should be advised in the same way. He proceeded by telling me that no one is prettier than me, no one is smarter than me and no one is better than me. Not to be prideful but to be confident in my self worth. He advised me to be humble and recognize to bless others because I am good and have been blessed with much. We hugged and he said, "I love you, Lalu." I went on my mission and returned home to be married in the temple. Few short years later I was no longer married. I felt as if I had let everyone down because my life hadn't occured as I had planned, or that I had dishonored my name. He treated me the same, as if nothing happened. He once again invited me to the temple, where I met him and did another session, after which he hugged me and said, "I wish I can be good like you, why you so good?" I cried, because I felt a closeness to all my Fathers at that moment. He encouraged me to keep on doing what I knew was right. I started dating and I saw him at the mala'e where he always sat next to his granddaughter Pauline's gravesite. He called me over and I sat on the gorund next to him and he asked, "how is your boyfriends?" I laughed and then I said, "His family doesn't like me, so we're not friends anymore." He looked at me as if he were so offended by what I just said, then he said "Lalu, everyone loves you. don't you know that? You are the best." I laughed and squeezed his hand. I love Pa. He will forever be remembered as a great blessing in my life! Ofa Atu Pa!