My elderly mother literally lives half a world away from me. She is cared for by her extended family, who live nearby, and who go beyond the call of duty in their care-giving. They take her out, run most errands for her, and often feed her too. They celebrated her birthday with great ceremony and shared the photos with me. I have also been sent photos when they go out to celebrate some other family member's birthday or festivals. Basically, special occasions are marked by shared photos. 

Yesterday, two members of my ServiceSpace family, Atul and Sheetal, went to see her. They had never met her before. Introducing themselves as friends of her daughter, they managed to charm her with their presence. And as is the fashion these days, they photographed her with a phone and instantly sent it to me on the other side of the planet. Previously, all photos of her that I had, had been sent on special occasions with a celebratory mood. In contrast, this was an ordinary day, where she was in her usual place, and it was so sweet for me to see her image on an ordinary day. The gesture of their visit and connecting me remotely with an ordinary day from her life, was all it took to make it an extra ordinary experience. I will cherish it for a longtime, and I am sure she too will.