Years ago, I subscribed to Wordsmith.org and it’s hard to articulate the joy it has brought me.

Despite having a strong grasp on vocabulary, I am continuously intrigued and informed by what they serve up.

This past month, my attention was particularly caught by 2 words that were new to me:

Presenteeism and Forgettery.

As you might imagine, presenteeism is the opposite of absenteeism, it’s the practice of being present when it’s unnecessary or counterproductive.

Forgettery is the opposite of memory: it’ the capacity to forget easily.

Why was I so struck by these?

Because, for me, they offer a beautiful way to say goodbye to summer.

Why?

Well, this time of year, there is a tendency to squeeze the most out of every day—to run from barbeque to picnic, pool party to hoedown.

But maybe it’s a good time to be absent: to lie in a hammock, turn off your phone, read a book.

To practice less presenteeism.

Similarly, now might be a good time to forget the things that enervated you over the summer months: to abandon the slights, say goodbye to the grudges, release the disappointments.

Because forgetting the hurts inflicted by others—as well as, at least in my case, those that were self-inflicted—will free me, and hopefully you, to enter the fall season in style.

For more on the value of doing a little less, look at “Try, Try Less… Abandon all Effort”