loving art, science and creative kids
5/29/2026 6:40:35 PM
Origin of a Thought
Never Stop Asking Why
Why do we live, and what should we live for, are questions we should never stop asking. The fact that humans are but a speck in the vast universe is a profound conundrum. Yet here we are, trying to make the most of our brief time on Earth. Some argue that the search for meaning is nothing more than an exercise in self-deception because the universe shows no evidence of caring about our hopes, dreams, prayers, or continued existence. In that view, the cosmos is indifferent to what we think or do. Artists, writers, philosophers, and scientists frame the question, making us think about it in a multitude of ways.
Yet from the earliest days of human consciousness, people have looked at the night sky and wondered why we are here. Almost everyone grapples with the mystery of existence. Religious traditions offer perhaps the most comforting answer: the belief in a creator and a greater purpose. Scientists say that science can explain how the universe works, but not necessarily why we exist or whether life has ultimate meaning. No matter how deeply people probe, there is still no absolute answer.
Modern science and philosophy gave rise to existential thinkers such as Jean-Paul Sartre, who focused on the lived reality of individuals rather than abstract systems. Existentialism examines the concrete, and often uncomfortable, experience of being alive and free. Sartre famously wrote that “we are condemned to be free.” We have no choice but to choose what we do, and those choices define who we become. Albert Camus concluded that while life itself may be without ultimate meaning, human beings can still find dignity and satisfaction in the struggle to live fully.
However, the very act of asking these questions reveals how deeply aware we are of the miracle of life on a small planet speeding through space. The evolutionary journey from single-celled organisms to human consciousness gave us minds unlike those of any other creature. Humans accumulate knowledge, share ideas through language and writing, and continually ask questions that probe deeper into the significance of our existence.
Perhaps the answer is not found in grand discoveries, but in ordinary moments: comforting a grieving friend, watching a child laugh, standing beneath a sky filled with stars, or creating something that did not exist before. These experiences remind us that meaning may not be something we discover once and for all, but something we continually create.
Asking what we should live for also leads into psychology. A sense of purpose is essential to mental well-being. Numerous studies suggest that people who live with purpose tend to be more resilient, healthier, and happier. Purpose brings people together, fosters cooperation, and builds community. It helps us endure hardship and create goals beyond our immediate circumstances.
Contemporary approaches to meaning-making focus less on cosmic answers and more on human flourishing. Psychologists such as Martin Seligman argue that a meaningful life includes positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. His perspective does not attempt to solve the ultimate mystery of why we exist. Instead, it asks how we can live well while we are here. Increasingly, researchers point to awe, creativity, compassion, and connection to nature as important sources of fulfillment and emotional well-being.
Meaning evolves as we acquire skills, fall in love, raise children, pursue knowledge, perform acts of kindness, and build societies shaped by art and culture. It is through being meaning-making creatures that we continue to evolve, constantly reaffirming both our existence and our place in the cosmos. Yet circumstances change throughout life, which is why we should never stop asking what we ought to live for. Finding new meaning at each stage of life keeps us creative and resilient.
Perhaps humanity’s greatest gift is not that we possess all the answers, but that we continue searching for them while creating meaning through how we live, love, and imagine our place in the universe.
References:
Rodriguez, R. (2026) The one Question That Haunts Every Human: Why do We Even Exist? Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/one-question-haunts-every-human-why-do-we-even-exist-raul-8becc/
Website (2025) The Human Quest for Meaning : Insight from Existential Thought. Philosophy Institute. Retrieved from https://philosophy.institute/philosophy-of-human-person/human-quest-for-meaning-existential-insights/
Editors (2025) Why Are We Here? The Human Quest of Meaning. Science News Today. Retrieved from https://www.sciencenewstoday.org/why-are-we-here-the-human-quest-for-meaning-and-existence
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My own search for meaning finds expression through art and writing. The novels and essays I create are my way of exploring humanity’s emotional and moral struggles—our fears, hopes, failures, and resilience. Whether writing about environmental conflict, social injustice, or personal relationships, I find myself returning to the same central question: how do we live meaningful lives in an uncertain world? Storytelling becomes more than entertainment; it becomes a way of understanding both ourselves and the fragile world we inhabit.
Eichinger books are available in paperback, ebook, and soon to be audio formats on AMAZON. For thrillers about social justice and the environment, turn to the Rightfully Mine Series.
5/23/2026 4:04:24 PM
Replanting The Garden
Planting a garden and watching things grow over the summer is a wonderful way to stay connected to nature.
Summertime: Will the Living Be Easy?
For most children, summer vacation is supposed to be a season of freedom—a time to relax with friends and family and enjoy the long, carefree days away from school. In one of the world’s richest nations, you might expect endless opportunities for young people to thrive during those months. Yet for many families, summer has become a stressful and lonely season, one that can negatively affect children’s emotional well-being and development.
Research consistently shows that children from lower-income families report poorer mental health and lower overall well-being than their wealthier peers. Food insecurity, lack of supervision, social isolation, and limited access to enriching activities all contribute to the problem. According to a report by the National Summer Learning Association, many low-income students also experience “summer learning loss,” falling behind academically during vacation months while wealthier children often move ahead through camps, travel, tutoring, and educational activities.
The statistics are troubling. The Afterschool Alliance reports that more than 24 million children in the United States are unsupervised during parts of the summer because their parents work and cannot afford childcare or structured programs. Meanwhile, the average cost of a summer day camp places it far beyond the reach of struggling families.
When I was a child, my grandparents helped care for me whenever my parents were busy. That kind of family support was a tremendous blessing to working parents. Today, however, families are often scattered across the country. Adult children move away for employment, and grandparents remain behind. Of my five children, only one lives nearby, and he has no children. My grandchildren live far away, beyond daily reach.
Because I missed the companionship and energy of young people, eight years ago I became an informal grandmother to two girls in an immigrant family. I visit them weekly, taking them to cultural events, museums, and nature trails. Over time, I have grown to worry about their futures as deeply as if they were biologically my own.
This summer, both parents will continue working long hours. The younger daughter, now eleven, will spend much of her time at home under the supervision of her fifteen-year-old sister, who naturally would rather be with her friends. Their community offers few free summer programs like the ones I enjoyed growing up. My elementary school once provided half-day programs filled with crafts, games, and sports. Those opportunities seem increasingly rare today.
Childcare has also become extraordinarily expensive. In Portland, Oregon, babysitters commonly charge fifteen dollars an hour or more. Day camps often cost upwards of $350 to $400 a week, while overnight camps can exceed $900 for only five days. For families already struggling with housing and food costs, these programs are simply impossible luxuries.
Out of concern for safety, the girls’ parents do not like them playing outdoors unsupervised. With few toys or organized activities available, screens become the default entertainment. Like millions of children, they spend hours online playing games, scrolling social media, and chatting with strangers. Excessive screen time among adolescents has been linked in multiple studies to increased anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and loneliness. As I discovered when the older girl became emotionally involved with an unsuitable man living in Los Angeles, the internet can expose vulnerable children to relationships and influences they are not mature enough to navigate.
Before the internet transformed childhood, I once read a study examining women who rose to the top of their professions. Surprisingly, many shared one common experience: during childhood they had spent long stretches of time away from traditional schooling. Some suffered serious illnesses. Others lived abroad because of their parents’ work. A few stayed home to care for siblings or ill family members. What mattered most was how they used that time.
High achievers read books, solved puzzles, learned to cook, built things, experimented with crafts, and explored hobbies independently. Their parents supplied them with educational toys, books, and encouragement. Though they talked with friends on the telephone, conversations did not consume entire days. They had time to think, reflect, and discover who they were. Solitude became a source of creativity rather than boredom. In learning how to occupy themselves meaningfully, they developed self-discipline and self-motivation—qualities that later helped them achieve extraordinary success. Perhaps there is still a lesson in that for parents today.
Summer can become a gift if approached thoughtfully. Children do not need expensive vacations or elite camps to grow intellectually and emotionally. What they need most is structure, encouragement, curiosity, and human connection.
Set schedules that include reading, exercise, household responsibilities, and creative projects. Visit libraries. Explore nature trails. Share childcare with trusted neighbors or friends. Keep puzzles, games, art supplies, and books within easy reach. When possible, spend time together riding bicycles, cooking meals, gardening, or simply talking.
The goal is not merely to keep children occupied. The goal is to raise curious, capable young people filled with wonder about the world around them. Summer should teach children not how to avoid boredom, but how to transform free time into imagination, self-sufficiency, and growth.
And yes, there is one additional blessing every parent can appreciate: no early-morning rush to catch the school bus—and no lunches to pack before sunrise.
References:
Website (2026) Gallup Summer Data National Summer Learning Alliance. Retrieved from https://www.summerlearning.org/gallup-summer-data/
Hones, S. (2018) How Children’s Socioeconomic Differences Play Out Over Summer Break Education Week. Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/how-childrens-socioeconomic-differences-play-out-over-summer-break/2018/05
Morgan, K. (2019) Poorer children’s summer holiday linked with worse mental wellbeing. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/poorer-childrens-summer-holiday-experiences-linked-with-worse-mental-well-being-114533
Lenhart,A. (2018) The Summer Care Gap. New America. Retrieved from https://www.newamerica.org/insights/summer-care-gap/
Website ( 2026) The Summer Struggle for Everyday Families. Summer Afterschool Alliance. Retrieved from https://afterschoolalliance.org/AA3PM/landing/
Please share your thoughts on how to blend work with childcare during the summer. . You can comment on my blog site at https://www.eichingerfineart.com/blog.
Art is always for sale, The garden is a 20” x 16” framed acrylic painting. To purchase go to https://www.eichingerfineart.com/workszoom/3536926/replanting-the-garden#/ Shipping free in continental U. S.
Need to know more contact me at [email protected].
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Eichinger books make good summer reading. Give yourself a gift. Available on AMAZON.
5/17/2026 11:49:10 AM
A MASKED VIEW
The picture above, is a painting of two African American girls wearing masks. Eight years ago, I became the American grandma to two wonderful children, shown in the picture above. It was painted after a mask-making craft session. Their parents came to the United States as African refugees seeking a life away from gunfire and poverty. I’m pleased to say the children are thriving—excelling in their studies and making many good friends. Though the parents’ education did not go beyond middle school, they are warm and loving people. I have enriched their lives by introducing them to cultural and athletic events. It is a privilege to have them as part of my life’s journey, and I encourage other empty-nesters to do the same.
A Memoir: My Two-Sided Brain
I try to live as though I’m on a journey, taking in each moment as a special gift. The ups and downs, even when difficult to embrace, have helped me grow. To me, this means living fully in the present while accepting the emotional seesaw that comes with exploring new frontiers.
What helps me overcome hesitation and heartache is allowing part of my brain to step outside myself and observe situations from a distance. Much like a reporter, this detached perspective keeps me curious and helps me maintain a sense of objectivity.
It is this reflective part of my mind that puts words on paper and paint on canvas, capturing moments from my journey. My books are filled with experiences drawn from my life, as are my paintings.
For my sixth-grade birthday party, all the girls in my class were invited except one—the only Black girl in the class. Her birthday happened to fall on the same day as mine, and I thought it would be fun to celebrate together. My mother didn’t want to invite her, saying she would probably have her own party. Although I didn’t protest, the reflective part of my mind knew something was wrong. It was the first time I realized my mother was prejudiced. I have carried the guilt of not inviting my friend to this day. My first encounter with injustice hurt deeply because she mattered to me.
That interaction with my mother became an important part of my journey. From that moment on, I became more sensitive to the prejudices and assumptions of the adults around me. I also grew more curious about how race, religion, intellect, and culture shape the way people respond to one another. The more diverse communities I encountered in my travels, both at home and abroad, the more I understood where people were coming from—and the more meaningful life became.
This is why the plots in my books often involve third-world and indigenous nations. It is a way to introduce readers to the struggles faced by people around the world. The Water Factor takes readers to Ethiopia. Antheia in the Thorns introduces them to Manila and a small Oregon town. My next book, Kingdom of Greed, journeys to a South Sea island.
I hope you will share a childhood event that influenced your life’s journey. Share it on this blog site so others can enjoy your insights.
Art is always available through my website and through https://www.Eichingerfineart.com
Eichinger books are available on AMAZON.
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5/10/2026 11:12:36 AM
THE SANTIAM BURN
THE DEVISTATION LEFT BY A VAST FIRE IN OREGON INSPIRED THIS PAINTING AND THE BOOK I'M PRESENTLY WRITING ABOUT OUR NATIONAL PARKS AND FORESTS
While giving book talks or attending art show openings of my paintings, I am often asked what inspired me. The only honest answer to that question is life itself—both living it and observing it. There are times, whether in moments of crisis or joy, when I mentally step outside the experience and watch it as though I were a stranger witnessing the situation unfold. At other times, when frustration or sorrow weighs heavily on me, a blank sheet of paper or an empty canvas calls out as a place to pour out the soul’s unrest.
The day my son was diagnosed with cancer, I went to my studio and splashed my grief across a canvas, yet somehow created a painting filled with hope, healing, and resilience. When the temperature climbed to 117 degrees and wildfires blackened the landscape, I did the same, finding solace while painting the scorched trees and smoke-filled skies that occupied my thoughts.
During the long walks I took throughout COVID-19, I became fascinated by the front doors of the houses I passed. I found myself imagining the people who lived behind them and the lives they carried within those walls. Those observations stirred my imagination and eventually became the inspiration for a blog in 2021. The walks kept my mind percolating until my fingers later moved rapidly across the keyboard. Immersed in writing, I enjoyed every moment of free time the lockdown gave me.
I was fortunate to travel extensively in my younger years, and the journeys that affected me most were those with a purpose beyond sightseeing. In Poland, I participated in an archaeological dig. In Kenya, I joined a research project studying elephant behavior in the wild. I experienced homestays in the Andes Mountains, in a Cuban plantation town, and in a village deep within the Amazon rainforest. I traveled extensively in China when towns were being demolished and million person cities were established almost overnight. Experiences like these deepened my curiosity about the customs people practice, the values they cherish, and the ways culture shapes identity.
As a mental health professional, and later while managing museums and businesses, I learned to look beyond the surface of the people I encountered. Their motives, backgrounds, fears, and dreams were endlessly varied and deeply compelling. If I were given another fifty years to live, it still would not be enough time to share all I have learned about the human struggle to find meaning in life.
The Water Factor is infused with experiences drawn from Africa and from the African families I have met in the United States. Cave explorations in Costa Rico, archaeological digs in the Southwest, and rock-climbing adventures near home all found their way into Antheia in the Thorns.
So, it is life that inspires and enriches the Rightfully Mine Series and the paintings I share in each blog. It is the practice of remaining aware of one’s surroundings and attentive to others while moving through the world. And finally, it is the willingness to look inward—to examine my own soul and understand how I respond to the situations life places before me.
Other Inspirations:
The dark days and riots following George Floyd's death inspired this painting of hope.
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Helping a homeless boy climb a fence that took him from poverty to a living wage
inspired the painting (OVER THE FENCE) and teh book (OVER THE PEANUT FENCE)
Paying attention to the environment, learning about global warming, and watching the quality of ouor ocians and air degrade inspired the painting (One Seed at A Time) and the The Rightfully Mine Series of Books.
What inspired you to create something you value. Please share in the comment secdtion below.
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Recently published, Antheia in the Thorns is an environmental thriller about power, corruption, loss, and regaining purpose. Marilynne Eichinger follows Jennifer Russo, a grieving mother who lost a child, and Abdul Hammed Dillinger, who escaped his father's cruelty. Together their stories illuminate the effect trauma has on behavior and how individuals evolve over time. Human lives are complex, influenced by environment and happenstance. The second thriller in the Rightfully Mine series remains at a reduced price while we get the word out. Your early reviews are greatly appreciated. Purchase at AMAZON SERIES.
5/1/2026 7:11:26 PM
OPUS 4
Are We Wiser Today Than Our Ancestors?
Given all that humanity has learned and discovered, one might expect the world to be in a better place. We have unprecedented access to knowledge, technological advancements capable of transforming entire societies, and a global awareness of crises like climate change, economic inequality, and political instability. Yet progress in information has not consistently led to progress in wisdom.
Perhaps the question is not whether we are smarter than our ancestors, but whether we are better at applying what we know. Sophocles, who wrote in the 5th century BCE, endures not because he offered solutions, but because he revealed patterns of human behavior that repeat across time.
We still see Antigone’s dilemma play out when individuals challenge unjust laws or systems—whistleblowers exposing corporate misconduct, journalists risking their careers to bring truth to light, and environmental activists placing themselves in harm’s way to protect forests, water, and communities. Protests over pipelines, old-growth logging, and land use continue across North America, as communities push back against decisions they believe prioritize short-term profit over long-term stewardship. The question remains the same: when authority demands silence, what does conscience require?
We see Oedipus in our relentless pursuit of knowledge without always considering its consequences. Artificial intelligence advances faster than the ethical frameworks needed to guide it. Social media platforms, designed to connect us, are also used to spread misinformation, deepen division, and influence elections. We gather vast amounts of data about human behavior, yet often use it to manipulate attention rather than promote understanding. Like Oedipus, we seek answers—sometimes only to discover that knowledge alone does not protect us from harm.
Philoctetes lives on in those society casts aside—the unhoused in our cities, the workers displaced by automation or global supply chains, and the communities left to deal with polluted land and water long after industries have moved on. In places affected by industrial runoff or abandoned extraction sites, residents often carry the burden of contamination for generations. His story asks whether we are capable not just of recognizing suffering, but of responding to it with empathy and responsibility.
And Ajax is present wherever pride overrides judgment. We see it in political leaders who refuse to concede mistakes, in corporations that deny environmental damage despite mounting evidence, and in public discourse that rewards certainty over reflection. Pride fuels polarization, making compromise feel like defeat and dialogue feel impossible.
These patterns are not distant or theoretical. They appear in legislative gridlock where urgent issues, like climate policy, infrastructure resilience, or wildfire management, stall amid partisan conflict. They are visible in the widening gap between scientific consensus on climate change and the pace of meaningful action, even as wildfires intensify across the American West, drought reshapes agricultural regions, and coastal communities face rising seas. They show up in continued debates over fossil fuel expansion even as renewable alternatives become more viable.
We are not lacking in knowledge. We are struggling with judgment, with humility, and with the will to act on what we already understand.
This tension—between knowledge and action, between power and responsibility—sits at the heart of my Rightfully Mine series. Through these stories, I explore the same enduring questions Sophocles raised centuries ago: What do we owe the earth that sustains us? When does obedience become complicity? How do we confront injustice when it is embedded within powerful systems?
The characters in these novels navigate environmental degradation, corporate overreach, and the quiet moral compromises that allow both to continue. Like Antigone, they must decide when to stand against authority. Like Oedipus, they confront truths that are unsettling and transformative. Like Philoctetes, they wrestle with abandonment and the possibility of healing. And like Ajax, they face the consequences of pride—both their own and that of the world around them.
If Sophocles teaches us anything, it is that wisdom is not a natural byproduct of time or progress. It must be chosen—through justice, through humility, and through compassion. It requires us not only to ask difficult questions, but to live with the answers.
That was true in ancient Greece. It is true now. And it may be the most important challenge we face: not how much we know, but what we are willing to do with it.
References:
Website (2023). Sophocles. Philo-Notes. Retrieved from https://philonotes.com/2023/04/sophocles
Konstand, D (2021) Sophocles’ Antigone and the Sources of Human Ethics, Open Forum for Classics. Retrieved from https://antigonejournal.com/2021/07/antigone-and-human-ethics/
Website (2011) Closing the Gap: The complete Plays of Sophocles: A New Translation for a New Audience. The Common.Retrieved from https://www.thecommononline.org/closing-the-gap-the-complete-plays-of-sophocles-a-new-translation-for-a-new-audience/
For those of you who like the classics, the following is a reminder of a few of Sophocles’ plots.
Antigone: After a civil war, King Creon declares that one of Antigone’s brothers, labeled a traitor, must remain unburied as punishment. Antigone defies the order, believing divine law and moral duty outweigh human authority. She buries her brother and accepts the consequences, even death. The play explores the conflict between individual conscience and state power, asking when it is right to resist unjust laws.
Like Antigone, who chose conscience over compliance, we are still confronted with moments when doing what is right means standing against authority.Antigone’s defiance reminds us that justice is not always defined by law—and that moral courage often comes at a cost.
Oedipus at Colonus: An older, blind Oedipus, once king of Thebes, wanders in exile after discovering he unknowingly killed his father and married his mother. In this final stage of his life, he reflects on suffering, fate, and responsibility. Rather than a story of downfall, this play is about transformation: Oedipus gains wisdom through hardship and ultimately finds a kind of peace and redemption. It emphasizes that true understanding often comes late and at great cost.
Oedipus’s journey suggests that knowledge alone is not wisdom; it is what we do with hard truths that defines us.In Oedipus, we see the danger of pursuing answers without reflection—and the possibility of growth when we finally confront them.
Philoctetes: Philoctetes, a skilled archer, is abandoned by his fellow Greeks on a remote island because of a foul-smelling, unhealed wound. Years later, the Greeks realize they cannot win the Trojan War without him and return to retrieve him, initially through deception. The play centers on pain, betrayal, and moral choice, ultimately arguing that honesty and compassion are more powerful than manipulation or expedience.
Philoctetes reminds us how easily society abandons those who suffer—, nd how essential compassion is to restoring what has been broken. His story asks whether we will choose expedience or empathy when faced with another person’s pain.
Ajax: Ajax, a great warrior of the Trojan War, feels dishonored when another soldier is awarded Achilles’ armor. Consumed by rage and wounded pride, he plans revenge but is driven into madness by the gods. When he regains his senses and realizes what he has done, he is overwhelmed by shame and takes his own life. The tragedy examines the destructive power of pride and the danger of tying identity too tightly to status and recognition.
Ajax stands as a warning that pride, when left unchecked, can undo even the strongest among us. In Ajax, we see how the refusal to admit failure can lead not to strength, but to collapse.
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I look forward to your comments below.
Art is always for sale. OPUS 4 is part of a series that goes easy on your pocketbook. To purchase and have it delivered without cost i the continental U.S. go to https://www.eichingerfineart.com/workszoom/6505490/opus-4#/
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The Rightfully Mine Series will help you better understand this world and how to care for it. They are thrillers based on facts that will keep you page turning. The Water Factor follows the plight of a Native American Reservation who contracted with a corporation that steals their water, and the young man who takes it upon himself to do something about it. Antheia in the Thorns follows a woman who emerges from depression after the loss of her child, fighting for the right to clean air and an unpolluted ocean.
Eichinger books are available on AMAZON.
