Through the Fog: Alisha Bennett & Emily Flynn

Alisha Bennett and Emily Flynn unpack the complex emotional landscape of motherhood after a lifetime shaped by early separation and, later, reconnection with their birth families. Reflecting on their own infant relinquishments, they explore how old survival mechanisms and an underlying fear of loss resurfaced during pregnancy and postpartum life.

Together, they confront the unique challenges of parenting as transracial adoptees, including the lack of language, support, and understanding around adoption-related trauma and postpartum depression. Through friendship, community, and insights from IKAA symposiums, Alisha and Emily have found ways to transform decades of unspoken grief into a more intentional, deeply present love for the next generation—and hope that sharing their experiences will help other adoptee parents feel less alone.

Special thanks to the Thomas and Wonsook Foundation for their generous support in making this project possible. And to Joy Lieberthal Rho, founder of IAMAdoptee for her consultation and post-support services for this project.