VERY personal question: have you ever cried in the shower before? If you’re emphatically nodding your head right now, know that you are not alone. The shower is the perfect place to have a cleansing crying sesh–and we’re not too proud to admit that we, too, let it all out in the steamy haven that is our bathroom from time to time. It always seems to make us feel better, no matter how hopeless we might have felt prior to turning on that faucet.

Recently, an artist by the name of Brittany Latham captured the feelings surrounding this cathartic activity perfectly in this gorgeous black and white photo.

Along with the stunning shot, 30-year-old Latham also included an original poem, a piece that cuts to the core of why women find themselves shedding tears in the same place they shampoo their hair.

For the woman whose husband makes an “extra stop” after work every evening. For the woman who is mourning the loss of a pregnancy that nobody else knew about. For the woman who was fired for her fourth tardy because she has been awake for a straight week with a sick child. For the single mom who doesn’t know how the utilities are going to stay on this month. For the woman who has gone through 2 IVF’s and has tried for five years without success but still shows up to every baby shower for her friends. For the woman who still hasn’t forgiven herself for the abortion that she had 20 years ago.

Pretty powerful stuff, huh? And, the way this talented writer and photographer chooses to wrap it up is just as potent as it is gratifying…

For the woman that endures one broken relationship after another because there was no father around to teach her what love looks like.For the woman raising a fatherless daughter and praying that history doesn’t repeat itself. For every single woman that cries in the shower so that nobody else can see. Because if you aren’t strong-nobody is. Just because the water washes your tears doesn’t mean that you don’t cry. I am you. I see you. I am with you, I cry with you.

Latham originally posted this photo and poem to her Facebook business page, Brittany Latham Studios, back in the spring. Since then, the artist’s post has officially gone viral, having garnered nearly half-a-million shares and likes. She certainly struck a chord, didn’t she?

Upon receiving all of that positive attention, Latham took to her page to thank all of her new fans and explain the motivation behind her work.

“The inspiration behind [this] was a collection of various things that I have experienced as a single mom, married mom, and mom of two babies lost to miscarriage,” the artist explained. “I spend a lot of time with my friends and hear their struggles and I thought how resilient women must be sometimes. A lot of times we are the only backbone.”

This just goes to show you that art can have a profound effect on people. We hope that Latham’s words and images continue to help people around the world!

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this viral Facebook post. Did it have an impact on you? Can you relate to it? Do you have any advice for women going through similar situations?