Alicja Pyszka-Franceschini
Bio
Stories (8/0)
A ciabatta - recipe perfected over a lifetime
There is a strong culture of bread making in my husband’s family. My father in law brought it with him from Italy and he has been perfecting his recipe for years now. He tends to wake up earlier than everyone else in the house. He walks to the kitchen and on dark winter mornings reaches for the light switch to comfortably move around the kitchen. The bread mixture starter usually waits for him where he left it the night before - but its texture has changed and bubbles have been forming on the surface, as if there was a fish underneath that pops out the air bubbles.
By Alicja Pyszka-Franceschini2 years ago in Lifehack
Encapsulated Mother
Encapsulated mother In his fabulous book entitled Going Sane, Adam Philips, an author and psychoanalyst wrote that at times becoming depressed, schizoid or otherwise mentally incapacitated is the only sane thing our mind can do. It is my feeling and suspicion that after experiencing a series of lockdowns many of us would recognize the truth in this statement. That at times going insane is the only sane thing we can do because the circumstances are beyond what we have experienced thus far and there are no examples of coping in our histories and experiences thus far. I’ve been struggling a lot with my mental health over the last year, more so than in previous years. Depression was not new to me. I remember when my son was around three, I would often withdraw to an unknown mental space to the point that he would slap me and shout: ‘Mummy, come back. Mummy, come back.’ I would of course awake at that instant but these withdrawal moments were frequent. Mothers with mental health problems, if they are like me, feel that they are in precarious positions. They may feel that as soon as they were to admit to their struggles, they will either be accused of not loving their children enough or that they will be deemed as unfit for purpose. This just exacerbates the problem and prolongs the suffering and a feeling that there are no solutions.
By Alicja Pyszka-Franceschini3 years ago in Psyche
Up
A frequent memory of my mother that crops up in my head is of her being bent over her large table in her bedroom lost in writing or reading. She was a director of social welfare in our area and would frequently write speeches for addressing different organisations and the public. She would immerse herself in other people’s words before the task. Only occasionally would she emerge from her room with a quote or thought that she would find inspiring or that she would like to discuss. Other times I would find my mother focused on her European Union projects that aimed at activating marginalized members of society. The projects would usually be quite small and yet the number of people involved in lifting up one person was mind-blowing but my mum was very determined; she believed in her work. She believed that a person can be lifted up.
By Alicja Pyszka-Franceschini3 years ago in Families
Motorbike
Here's a poem that comes from personal experience and reflects on my accident on a motorbike that I had when I was younger. My friend was trying to teach me to ride it but I had forgotten to ask where the brake was and ended up riding into a netted fence. It was a good idea to go straight rather than to turn left. I would have hit a car otherwise. Here I am reflecting also on the need of holiday and taking a break in life.
By Alicja Pyszka-Franceschini3 years ago in Poets