Some cookies a cherub brought from home. This is a type of snack some cherubs may not want to share.

In my family, it’s eat or be eaten.

I guess that’s what comes from being in a family of six. Our evening dinners usually revolve around wrestling tournaments, dance classes and my crazy work schedule. We normally have dinner as a family at least once a week, but even then dinner is a challenge and a chore. So it comes at no surprise that when my sister makes a tortilla with cheese at 4 p.m. and I’m walking through the kitchen, I will ask for a bite. Ok, I normally just take a bite and apologize later. Or when I’m thirsty, but not thirsty enough for a whole glass of juice, I’ll just pick up my sister’s cup and take a sip. I know that for some people this may seem unsanitary or just plain weird, but that’s the way my family works.

Like I said, eat or be eaten.

When I came to cherubs, I was very nervous about interacting with complete strangers, especially when it came to snacks, the most important meal of the day. Back home, when my friends and I are together, we grab a bag of chips and completely devour it, but I realized that not everyone is comfortable with sharing their food. Not everyone has been to my house and seen the never-ending supply of granola bars, cereal, mac & cheese and all else fattening and snacky (we are convinced my dad has some form of OCD because he collects coupons and insists on buying in bulk).

Naturally, I offered my snacks to my cherub friends as a peace offering the first night, knowing that the mantra "the best way to a man’s heart is his stomach" holds true for all rational human beings. Within the first week, I had offered up a whole bag of assorted chocolate candies to the second floor girls, so it was at no surprise that Alix Cohen turned to me and said, “Rebecca, you’re such a good sharer!”

I must admit though, I was amazed at this statement. In my house, my mom always invites people in with the phrase, “Mi casa es tu casa,” which means, “My house is your house.” (She was born in Cuba, for the record.) I have always been used to living with a “what’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine” mentality. Cherubs really opened my eyes to the differences in family dynamics and how that affects the way people interact with each other. Everyone has a line they draw when it comes to personal space, alone time and especially food. At cherubs, I would never grab a cookie off my friends’ plate, at least, not during the first week. I learned to respect people’s differences, even if my friend gets mad over another friend stealing a granola bar while she was out of the room and remembers that the friend still owes her $.50 for the bar three weeks later. I’m not judging.

In short, my time here at cherubs opened my eyes to the differences in what is acceptable when it comes to sharing. Even though my one friend flat out refuses to share any of her overpriced snacks, she knows she can raid the chocolate and popcorn supply in my room any day.