No hard feelings!

“Brez zamere,” or “No hard feelings,” was once an ordinary parting phrase. Today, it has almost vanished, even though we may need it more than ever.

People used to say it after visiting someone, returning from a weekend away, saying goodbye to relatives or neighbors, teasing someone, or telling them something uncomfortable. Two simple words could smooth over an awkward moment, prevent resentment, and leave the door open.

For the writer, the phrase was inseparable from her father. It was always his final sentence before he got behind the wheel of his old Zastava 101, started the engine, and drove away from Pelješac along the old Adriatic Highway toward home, a cigarette between his teeth. It sounded carefree, much like “take care,” “goodbye,” or “see you.” It was part of how a holiday ended.

Then, amid the rush of life, the phrase disappeared. The writer went a long time without hearing or saying it. It seemed to slip slowly into the rubbish heap of history, alongside other words and habits that once belonged to everyday life, becoming a forgotten remnant of another era.