Unadoptable.
A term that became a part of her identity at the age of seven.
She said, “My mother asked her neighbor to babysit while she went shopping, but she did not go shopping. Her clothes were packed, her car was loaded and she moved out of state… She never came back.”
A situation that made Rhonda Sciortino understand early on the concepts of abandonment and rejection.
A situation that left her no other option, but to live her with maternal grandparents, a mentally ill grandfather, and an alcoholic grandmother.
She said, “We lived in a little shack, about the size of a two-car garage… It didn't have working plumbing… No heat or air conditioning… Lots of times we went without food… Lots of times we had no electricity… Pretty rough upbringing.”
She continued by saying, “I was abused… Physically… Emotionally…”
A type of upbringing that most, if not all of us, would want to forget as fast as possible.
But, Rhonda is different from most people, as she did not have the luxury of forgetting.
An upbringing that took her on a journey from being a victim to becoming a survivor, and ultimately turning into an advocate.
An advocate for those who’ve suffered abuse, abandonment, poverty, filth, and hunger.
“My success is helping other people get theirs.”
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
On Hardship: Identify the takeaway to prevent future hardships
On Avoiding Abuse: Learn to redirect the conversation
On Relationships: Form quality relationships with healthy people
On Communication: Give people the benefit of the doubt