Everything passes – or so they say. But sometimes, even when it passes, it has not truly gone. Fires do not disappear the moment they are extinguished and vanish from the news. Grief and desolation remain, reminding forgetful people. The earth remembers longer than we do.
August in Montenegro was merciless: the burning sun, the wind fanning the flames, smoke choking the mountains and valleys. Forests, meadows, vineyards, homes… all vanished before the fire. And how our hearts wept when, in that fight against the flames, we lost a hero — one of those quiet guardians of our lives and homes.
And nature… once again it took pity on us, ending our agony. It always finds a way to let its tears fall on the fire, on both its pain and ours.
The renewal of nature takes longer than we think. It takes decades for a forest to return to its fullness, and even longer for a vineyard to bear fruit as it once did. Natural disasters, human neglect, or climate change — all threaten both nature and us equally. That is why every tree, every vineyard, every piece of land demands our care. What disappears today returns slowly, and sometimes differently than we remember.
As the September sun gently slows down the rhythm of the days, mountains, rivers, and vineyards regain their peace. Yet they remind us: beauty and strength come from balance — between challenges and joys.
It is human to wish for rain when fire threatens. It is human to wish for sunshine when we want summer to last. But if summer rain had fallen for days, we would have complained that we could not swim in the sea, that it disrupted the tourist season… and perhaps even said: nothing terrible, it’s romantic. But when smoke covers the sky, everything becomes tragic.
Fire, water, earth, and air — four elements make life. This eternal play of the elements teaches us to appreciate every moment: the sound of wind through the pines, the murmur of a river, the calm of a lake, or the silence of a tent on a meadow.
The autumn ahead brings harvest and new wines. It also brings the chance to restore what was burned — to begin right away, for us, for our children. All of this has reminded us that we do not compete with nature, that we must learn from it, and that there are endless ways to enjoy it — but that its power is greatest and harshest when we try to destroy it. Nature defends itself from us, for us.
Montenegro, with all its contrasts — between smoke and light, fire and water, heat and shade — teaches us to breathe, to feel, and to enjoy here and now. Every glance at the blue sky is a reminder that beauty always overcomes fear, and that nature always finds a way to peace and inspiration.
As we look at the blue sky above Montenegro, let us remember that every action we take, every care we give to nature, becomes a piece of renewal. Let us enjoy the moment, learn from the past, and build the future — for us, for our children, for all those who come after us. Nature always reminds us: strength lies in care, and peace in respect.
