Finntrovert.com
Finntrovert.com
Finntrovert – The blog of Christopher Gullmans
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I know I’m guilty of it: I used to think that disability is something that’ll never happen to me and therefore doesn’t concern me. Isn’t that ironic, considering I had a disability all along? But that brings me to my actual point: Anybody can become disabled at any time. Nobody is safe from one day... Continue Reading →
10.10.2024 12:22Here’s why you should care about disabilitiesHow do you find a sense of belonging when you deal with uncommon or rare issues? How do you reconcile disabilities without losing your sense of self-worth? Are you selfish if you don’t stay and try to fix a broken system? We recently returned from a trip to the United States. Part of the reason... Continue Reading →
8.10.2024 20:14A sense of purpose and belonging shouldn’t be a privilegeThere was a time in life I would’ve given anything to be “normal” (as far as I’d seen from those around me). However, having unexpectedly found myself in the rather unique position of becoming a father—with disabilities (Charcot-Marie-Tooth, Tourettes syndrome)—to a son who also has a disability (Down syndrome) has taught me that I almost... Continue Reading →
11.7.2024 20:44I almost wished away the greatest part of meA lot of people associate grief with the death of a loved one. But I’m here to tell you that grief can also look like this: Seeing part of yourself slowly disappear at an unreasonably fast rate without explanation or means to fix it. In my case, during my late teens, I started losing the... Continue Reading →
23.6.2024 20:42Let’s talk about griefAs humans, there’s nothing so recognisable as human suffering. We go through our lives with a constant bombardment of challenges, battles and misery, while trying to find those small oases of calmness in between. The extent of our perceived suffering depends entirely on circumstances, perspectives, and prior experiences. The sorrows of a child who’s lost... Continue Reading →
6.3.2024 11:30Finding life from the ashes: How suffering fuels hopeOf course, not the people, but their hurtful words. As someone whose life didn’t start out like that of the vast majority of people around me, it’s not hard to see why people like me, i.e. adoptees, might want to shy away from being themselves. It’s easy for many to say “of course you should... Continue Reading →
23.1.2024 12:33If you can’t beat them, eat them (the hurtful words)[…] of my son’s Down syndrome, it’s safe to say that the worries of an average parent is just another Tuesday to us. At one point, I remember seeing a post on Instagram on how special kids are born to ordinary […]
6.12.2023 13:53Comment on A special-needs child is a celebration of all that’s good in this world by Running at the speed of life: With disability as the norm – Finn...Let’s get straight to the point here: having a disability doesn’t mean you are completely helpless. It simply means that you are having to learn and do things a bit differently from those around you, and that’s something I have come to learn is not a failure. On the contrary, it makes you more creative,... Continue Reading →
6.12.2023 13:53Running at the speed of life: With disability as the normAs I’m typing this on my phone in Amadeus’ hospital room, my son is resting in his hospital bed, hooked up to a device that monitors his vital signs, while a soft “hisssss” can be heard from his oxygen mask. Meanwhile, my phone is buzzing left and right with congratulations on having been awarded 2023... Continue Reading →
8.11.2023 16:28Apparently, I’m Father of the Year 2023!I know where I was born, but I don’t know where I come from. I know where I live, but I don’t know where I belong. I know what I call home right now, but I don’t know how to hold on to it. I dream of permanence, but is that just a figment of... Continue Reading →
19.10.2023 12:34A Third Culture Kid’s dreamBeat, little heart, your daddy’s got you safe and sound, Let my arms be your fortress and your rock solid ground, That you may look upon the world not out of worry and fear, Knowing you can meet it head-on with love as your spear. Beat, little heart, show the world you’ve got what it... Continue Reading →
12.10.2023 20:22Beat, Little HeartIn reply to <a href="https://finntrovert.com/2022/07/17/when-its-all-said-and-done/comment-page-1/#comment-414">eliezerjames</a>. Hi! Thank you for your kind words! I write these things mainly for my own processing, but with my writing, I do really hope to help someone out there also. Glad you found my blog!
26.9.2023 18:32Comment on When it’s all said and done by Chris GullmansI was browsing your blog, and found boxes of treasure of good things. Thank you for these compositions and reflections, for the vulnerability and depth - these really warm the heart, silently whispering words to move forward. Keep writing! somewhere out in the world, people needing to read such words will be blessed. Have a great day and thanks again for the inspiration
19.9.2023 10:00Comment on When it’s all said and done by eliezerjames[…] thing in comparison. Of course, it’s no small feat to raise a child, but compare it to this time last year, and the problems we face daily right now appear quite manageable, even with the challenges that […]
28.2.2023 16:55Comment on When it’s all said and done by Three years married; experiences enough to fill 30 – Finntrovert[…] was exhilarating to think that one year from then, we could have a new little life in our embrace. Little did we know we’d first have a miscarriage, followed by a successful, albeit insanely difficult pregnancy […]
10.9.2022 23:00Comment on 2021: CMT, pregnancy, miscarriage, hyperemesis, Down syndrome, cancer by Burn-out is (one of) the best things that could’ve happened to me ...[…] now and the last time I had time to sit down and write out my thoughts, I find one crucial piece of the puzzle: life […]
17.7.2022 12:48Comment on Crossings: A poem about a moment in time where life and death intertwine by When it’s all said and done – FinntrovertIn reply to <a href="https://finntrovert.com/2022/02/03/beyond-all-doubt-how-orphanhood-is-shaping-my-fatherhood/comment-page-1/#comment-52">Admirer</a>. Thank you for your kind words. I really hope to inspire others to push on when life doesn't feel worth living. What better can I do with my hardships.
9.2.2022 19:12Comment on Beyond all doubt: How orphanhood is shaping my fatherhood by Chris GullmansYou are an example for us, of strength and resilience. You and your wife. Thankyou for sharing with us, it's so touching and at the same time feel deep inside my heart... I'm so sorry, no child deserve to feel what you did.
9.2.2022 18:57Comment on Beyond all doubt: How orphanhood is shaping my fatherhood by Admirer[…] been many, many years since I last wrote and published a poem. But this moment in time–when my wife and I are expecting a child while my mother-in-law is dying in cancer, and this moment in time–of joy and tragedy, of life and death, of hope and despair, all […]
8.2.2022 18:42Comment on 2021: CMT, pregnancy, miscarriage, hyperemesis, Down syndrome, cancer by Crossings: A poem about a moment in time where life and death inte...[…] as you may already know, we recently got a (happy) surprise: Our little boy has been gifted with Down syndrome. Of course that was no easy thing to deal with […]
3.2.2022 14:32Comment on 2021: CMT, pregnancy, miscarriage, hyperemesis, Down syndrome, cancer by Beyond all doubt: How orphanhood is shaping my fatherhood – Finntr...