MBL Adoption Dialogue – Series 9 Recap: Lucky, Unlucky, or Somewhere in Between?
Introduction | Beyond Simple Labels
On 22 March 2026, The Mothers’ Bridge of Love (MBL) hosted the 9th Adoption Dialogue, bringing together speakers and participants from Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The theme — “Lucky, Unlucky, or Somewhere in Between?” — addresses a question many internationally adopted people and adoptive families have heard:
“You are so lucky.”
Yet, as this dialogue revealed, adoption stories are rarely simple. They are layered with love and loss, belonging and uncertainty, resilience and complexity.
This session invited us to move beyond labels and listen more deeply to the lived realities of adoptees and adoptive families.
About MBL | Building Bridges Across Cultures
The Mothers’ Bridge of Love continues to develop impactful cultural, educational, and community initiatives:
Since 2022, MBL has organised three UK English–Chinese Bilingual Recitation Competitions, engaging young people aged 6–18
The “Books for Kids” project has established 28 school libraries in rural China
The “Colour of Us” exhibition in London featured 85 artworks, including 33 created by children with disabilities
During COVID, MBL hosted 14 online forums and built collaborations across Europe, China, and the United States
These initiatives reflect MBL’s mission to foster connection, cultural understanding, and social awareness.
The Adoption Dialogue | Dialogue and Social Awareness
The MBL Adoption Dialogue was established in 2024 to:
Create a platform for communication between adoptees and adoptive families
Support the global adoption community
Raise social awareness about the realities of international adoption
The series has collaborated with organisations and communities in Canada, the United States, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
In 2025, the dialogue series centred on adoption healing, emphasising personal storytelling and emotional connection.
Speaker Highlights
Guro J. Skåre-Jullum (Norway)
Guro shared findings from a 2025 survey of adoptees and adoptive parents.
Key insights included:
Strong interest among adoptees in reconnecting with Chinese culture
Limited post-adoption support structures
A need for stronger peer networks among adoptive parents
Growing demand for specialised psychological support
She reminded us that adoption is not a completed process, but a lifelong journey of care, learning, and adaptation.
Pippa (UK)
Pippa offered a deeply personal reflection on adoptive parenting.
She challenged the idea of adoption as simply “lucky,” sharing the complexity of raising a child through:
Learning and processing difficulties
Mental health challenges during adolescence
Later understanding through ADHD assessment
Her key message: Adoptive parenting is not about certainty, but about staying present, advocating, and continuing to love through uncertainty.
Dr. Wu Fan (USA)
Dr. Wu Fan presented a psychological framework for understanding adoptee adolescence through four key dimensions:
Loss and grief – extending beyond family to culture and identity
Identity formation – navigating “Who am I?” across cultures
Attachment and trust – shaped by early separation
Agency and control – the need to reclaim ownership of one’s life
She emphasised the importance of creating space for both joy and grief, and supporting adoptees with patience, awareness, and emotional stability.
Q&A | Starting with Safe and Gentle Connections
Insights from CACH-ALL highlighted that many adoptees prefer to reconnect with their heritage through accessible, informal activities:
Cooking
Cultural games
Community gatherings
These spaces often provide the first step toward deeper conversations and healing.
Closing Reflection | Listening in the In-Between
This dialogue did not attempt to define adoption as “lucky” or “unlucky.”
Instead, it revealed that adoption can hold:
Love and loss
Belonging and disconnection
Strength and vulnerability
Perhaps what matters most is not the label, but our willingness to listen with honesty, nuance, and compassion.
Previous Adoption Dialogue Themes (Series 1–9)
2024
Series 1 (Jan 2024)
Q&A with Xinran — Author Dialogue on Adoption
Series 2 (Jun 2024)
Birth Family Search & Documentation — Practical and Legal Perspectives
Series 3 (Sep 2024)
Adoption Dialogue with Norway — Cross-cultural Reflections
Series 4 (Dec 2024)
How Are We? — Adoptee Lived Experiences and Inner Realities
2025 — Theme: Adoption Healing
Series 5 (Mar 2025)
Being Adopted — Difficulties, Struggles, and Hope
Series 6 (Jun 2025)
Having Adopted — Concerns, Difficulties, and Love
Series 7 (Sep 2025)
When Adoptive Families Meet Birth Families — Reunion Stories
Series 8 (Dec 2025)
When Daughters of the Bamboo Grove Meets Message from an Unknown Chinese Mother — Writers in Dialogue
2026
Series 9 (Mar 2026)
Lucky, Unlucky, or Somewhere in Between?
A Special Session for Adoptive Parents
Acknowledgement
Our sincere thanks to all speakers, co-host CACH-ALL, interpreters, and participants.
Together, we continue to build a space where adoption stories are heard more fully — and where society grows in awareness, empathy, and understanding.
Click here to watch the event recording.