Rema, an adoptive parent to a two-and-a-half-year-old girl, is deeply aware of the impact of childhood experiences and parenting style on the development of children. “I keep reading about things and am in touch with other adoptive parents,” she says.This is perhaps why Rema found a recent sharing circle held in Bengaluru, titled The Adoption Conversation: When do you begin? How do you continue?, interesting. “I wanted to hear how other people are tackling the same situation.” Having a platform like this, where everyone is on the same page, made it easier for her to walk in and share her thoughts, without judgement, explains Rema, who prefers to go by only her first name. “Every parent’s story is different, so having a space to share was beautiful.”These sharing circles are part of a series organised as precursors to Manotsava 2026, an annual mental health festival co-hosted by Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies (RNP), NIMHANS and the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS).In addition to adoption, this series will also include conversations about family expectations, finding support systems, reflecting on midlife, negotiating difficult family dynamics, and supporting caregiving, among others, in a safe, accepting space.