Ev'ry'ting Bbbblllllllluuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last November, through God's divine orchestration of life, I was in attendance at the send-of and tribute for Sean "Blu" Rose. I did not know Sean personally, but I was there to support some very close friends of mine.

The service took place at the Church of the Nativity in the heart of Malvern. Being back in the area on this particular day had a powerful impact on my life.

I have many memories from my teenage years - from Malvern Rec Centre to Malvern Town Centre, and numerous spots in the surrounding streets.

While we arrived early, we came to find the sanctuary full. As the clock ticked towards 11am, the gym on hte far side of the church (which had a television to broadcast the service) also began to fill. By the time the service began, you could not move through the lobby or find a seat. I still question if my memory serves me correctly, when I recall going around to the front of the church and seeing a line-up that trailed along Tapscott, almost reaching Neilson.

Sean "Blu" Rose was a man of the community. 28 years of age, he worked at the Malvern Community Centre, he worked at Fleming Public School, he was a Hip Hop artist, and he was an informal mentor to countless youth of all ages. He was also an inspiration to his peers and the pride of the elders around him.

With many dreams, goals and aspirations still in his scope, he passed from a brain aneurism. Losing "Blu" has been hard for a lot of people.

It was overwhelming to see how many people love him. At the gravesite, hundreds of people were there. It was there that an understanding hit me: at the end of it all, it is not your bank book, or your job, or your house that counts, it is the people that you made to feel loved.

In honour of what he stood for and the way his love affected people, many in the community have organized themselves toward a number of initiatives which include a scholarship, community programs, and the renaming of parts of the Malvern community.

The first of those initiatives to be realized was the renaming of Empringham Park to Sean "Blu" Rose Park, for which a ceremony was held this past Sunday. I knew that I would not be able to attend to some important things while here in Ghana, and this is something that I would not have missed.

What is most beautiful about this is to see the community writing history. Blu is a part of the history of Malvern and the history the city. He represents so many people and so many voices. That is now recorded. Children will grow up and see that name, and it is important that we share his story.

Take a ride down from the 401 to Neilson then turn right onto Tapscott. After a few streets you turn right onto Empringham. There you can find the park. You will see a monument to our history and an inspiration for our future.