OMG! It’s Serendipity, BABY! – March’s Cosmic Surprise Monk

March is the month when the universe leans in just to see your reaction, and March’s monk knows this all too well.

OMG! It’s Serendipity, BABY! – March’s Cosmic Surprise Monk

He had been meditating, perfectly calm, perfectly zen, when life decided to throw him a little cosmic curveball. One moment he was contemplating the impermanence of a leaf, and the next he was blinking, stunned, at the absurd perfection of the moment, a moment so ridiculously delightful it could only be described as serendipitous.

His expression is a masterpiece of disbelief and joy. His hands are thrown over his eyes in pure delight, as if shielding himself from the absurd brilliance of life while simultaneously soaking it in. Half of him is thinking, “Wait… that actually worked?” and the other half is grinning so wide you can almost hear the laughter bubbling out. He is not just surprised; he is overwhelmed, serendipitously shocked. This is the universe handing him a gift he did not even know he wanted, and he is caught in the most human reaction possible: uncontainable, almost theatrical joy.

What you cannot tell from the painting is that as I worked, he kept shaking his head and muttering in astonished delight, utterly unable to keep the joy in. Not at anything specific, not at some hidden fortune, simply at the fact of being alive. Every flicker of light, every subtle sound, every breath became another reason to marvel, gasp, and laugh at life itself. He was caught in a rapture of disbelief, utterly alive, and incapable of hiding it, his hands over his eyes only amplifying the intensity of his astonishment and bliss.

Over the years, this monk has stumbled into random blessings, accidental adventures, and small cosmic coincidences that leave him shaking his head and chuckling to himself. He does not fight it or overthink it; he leans into the absurdity with wide-eyed wonder and a grin that refuses to be contained. Sometimes a breeze scatters cherry blossoms across his meditation circle, or a butterfly lands on his shoulder mid-breath, and instead of shooing it away, he erupts into delighted disbelief that seems to say, “Yes! This! Exactly this!”

There is a blissful recklessness in him, a joy so extreme that it spills over into the world around him. Life surprises him, amazes him, and sometimes nearly overwhelms him with its absurd perfection, and he greets it all with astonishment, laughter, and a deliciously over-the-top delight at how wonderfully ridiculous being alive can be. He is calm, composed, and shockingly human all at once, caught in the perfect tension between serenity and pure, ecstatic disbelief.

For March, this monk reminds us to notice those unexpected gifts, those small, absurdly perfect moments. To blink, to grin, to throw your hands over your eyes if you must, and to fully embrace the shocking, uncontainable joy of simply being alive. This piece of March Calendar Art is a reminder that even the most ordinary moments can become extraordinary when we let ourselves be caught by surprise.

Think about a moment when life completely surprised you with delight. Capture it in words, drawings, or any creative form you choose. Focus on the feeling of being utterly caught off guard and overwhelmed with joy, just like March’s monk. Don’t hold back — let your expression of bliss be as uncontainable as his.

Next month, April, will bring the “I’m Fine-ish” energy, the delicate dance between holding it together and wondering what on earth is actually happening. But for now, March's cosmic surprised monk invites us to pause, squint at life’s little miracles, and revel in being delightfully, joyfully caught off guard.

Thanks for reading The 3rd Flamingo — a blog for art lovers, creative wanderers, and anyone who’s ever made a beautiful mess.