Cream cheesalizing

I enjoyed lunch with my pastor's family today after church. There were nine of us, and we all ordered personal pizzas. The table was a buffet of toppings: Pepperoni and Italian sausage, Italian sausage and pepperoni, pepperoni and mushroom, mushroom and Italian sausage, Italian sausage and mandarin oranges (mine), mandarin oranges and artichoke hearts, spinach and roasted red pepper, pepperoni and cheese, cheese and cheese (the youngest eater's).

Each person ate differently. There were scarfers, shovers, benders, pickers, and nibblers. Crust first. No crust. Dipped in sauce. Cheese stripped like a blanket from a bed. Sauce licked off, dotting nose and mouth, making smiles extra wide.

Conversation slid the scale from serious to downright silly. Geography quizzes. Work. Travel plans. Death. Mario and Luigi and Wario and Waluigi (I learned something new today!).

Cream cheesalizing.

Verb.

The act of putting cream cheese on a bagel.

"Why not cream cheesing?" I asked my pastor's oldest son when he told me of their family's made-up word.

"I don't know," he answered. "Cream cheesalizing just fit our family, I guess. You could have cream cheesing."

Well, since my young friend offered, I think I will. Cream cheesing will be my verb. But I'll gladly share it, if you'd like. Because, you see, that is the wonder of words. On the page or as sound waves in the air, words can "just fit" whatever situation, person, idea or emotion needs fitting, much like the myriad pizza toppings at lunch today.

Of course, in writing gone wrong or speech that should have been left unspoken, words can also very much not fit. There is danger in words, too.

And I suppose that is why I like words so much. That is why I write. I like the challenge of fitting words to what needs to be said. I like telling the stories of the people around me, the stories of the world. And I hope above all hope that every story I tell and every word I speak--on the page or in the air--also tells the story of God, for from Him and through Him and to Him are all things (Romans 11:36).

Cream cheesalizing.

Verb.