They say that all goof things must come to an end. However, I never really dreamt that they would come to an end for Iniesta.
I was written about Iniesta before here, and words cannot capture what he has meant to my life. To say that he was an inspiration would not do his deeds justice. In fact, there are no words - only feelings - that capture what this man means to me.
Much of our life is drudgery, biding time, or waiting for something big to happen. However, that was anything but what I experienced week in and week out tuning into Barca or Spanish national team games for the past 8 years after I first discovered football and fell in love with the game.
Iniesta more than anyone kindled that fire in South Africa with his metronomic passing and the way he made the game come to life - like an athletic symphony or ballet. I had never seen anything live - save my children - as beautiful as that and not sure I will.
The statistics will support my claim that he is the greatest Spanish player of all time and the greatest midfielder of all time. However, statistics do not capture what Don Andres did on the field week in and week out. He always gave it his all. He always found a way to get out of the most precarious situations without losing the ball and with flair to boot. He always put the team first and prized team victories over individual ones. That he never won the Balon d'Or awarded to the best world football player is a crime, but I know he will not lose any sleep over this. He was too busy playing with his friends and achieving feat after feat.
Rather than lament the things he achieved, we will miss how he achieved them and the beauty in every touch, dribble, pass, or connection. When I see him move with his teammates - the understanding so omnipresent - I cannot help but feel jealous. For this is the greatest gift life can give us - human connection, especially with those who are not bound to us by blood or marriage. It is what I have found so damn evasive in life: understanding and appreciation at once. For me, Iniesta will always personify that, and watching him play reminds me of what we should aspire towards.
The soccer announcer Ray Hudson said it best yesterday when discussing what Iniesta's next destination might be. He said I hope he goes to a league where I will never see him play again. He wanted to remember him on his last night in a Barcelona shirt leaving on top, rather than playing with third rate teammates without his full faculties. I agree. The images below taken hours after his last match in an empty Camp Nou will always haunt me because they speak to how much this player means to the club and how much the club means to him. However, these images pale in comparison to the many delightful moments Iniesta has given me. He is a man for all seasons the likes of which we will never see again.
Good night, sweet prince.
