“OMG! That’s Hilarious” - May’s Laughing Monk

O.M.G! That's Hilarious. Laughing Monk painting.

May arrives, bright and cheerful, and immediately proves it has no respect for quiet contemplation, solemnity, or serious faces. Our monk responds exactly as any sensible human would: mid-laugh, eyes squinting, mouth wide open, shoulders slightly shaking—he’s fully cracking up.

May’s monk has earned this expression. The open mouth signals full surrender to joy. The squinting eyes communicate, “This is ridiculously funny, and I can’t contain it.” The slight shoulder movement says, “Life’s absurdity has caught me completely off guard, and I’m loving it.” Every element of his expression is a study in pure delight, a perfectly human display of laughing at life, however ridiculous.

What you cannot see in the painting is that every aspect of his laughter has an epic, over-the-top reason. A cosmic joke only he gets, a hidden moment of mischief, an unexpected absurdity—these are not disasters. To him, they are hilarious events to be fully enjoyed. There is no restraint, no judgment. Just a complete, unrestrained laugh. Eyes squinting, mouth wide, shoulders shaking… pure joy.

This monk has spent years cultivating mindfulness, patience, and spiritual practice. May, however, has a way of inspiring full-on belly laughs even in the most disciplined practitioners. Minor absurdities become moments of contagious amusement, and he meets them all with his signature expression. It is not silliness for its own sake; it is the conscious, heroic choice to embrace life’s humor wholeheartedly.

Beneath the over-the-top laughter lies quiet wisdom. True joy is not solemn. It is not controlling every detail. Sometimes it is leaning into life’s absurdities, letting yourself erupt in laughter, and letting the joy spread outward. Those perfectly ridiculous moments—the misheard chant, the unexpected jingle, the tiny cosmic joke—become opportunities to laugh freely, eyes squinting, mouth wide, shoulders moving, heart open.

May’s monk embodies what I like to call “full-on laughter enlightenment.” Eyes squinting, mouth wide, shoulders trembling—he is absurd, ridiculous, human, and delightfully joyful. Every part of him says: “Life is life. Chaos is chaos. Haha… it’s hilarious.”

I painted O.M.G.! That’s Hilarious to capture that perfectly human moment: when life trips you up in the funniest way possible, and all you can do is laugh until your cheeks hurt. The wide-open mouth, sparkling eyes, a

nd infectious energy came naturally once I remembered all the moments in May where laughter was the only appropriate response.

May is a month of long days, sunny absurdities, and unrestrained joy. If February was about startled OMG moments, and April was about “meh” acceptance, May is about full-hearted, belly-shaking delight.

Now it’s your turn. Notice the tiny absurdities around you—a misfired bell, a surprising coincidence, a silly interruption. What does your face do? Can you exaggerate it, lean into the ridiculous, and let yourself laugh fully and freely? May’s monk is proof: joy doesn’t require control—it just requires the courage to embrace life’s humor, mouth wide, eyes sparkling, and shoulders shaking.

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