Observed as a summer holiday season from August 13th to 16th, Obon is the Japanese Buddhist custom of honoring ancestors who have passed away, rooted in the belief that during the Obon period ancestors' spirits return to visit their relatives in the living world.

Talented Japanese artist 526 (@Kojiro337) recently shared a single illustration that not only captures the spirit of Obon, but also has cat lovers around the world in absolute tears.

526 shared the touching illustration with the poignant caption "tadaima" ("I'm home" in English), an expression use in Japan when one returns back home after an excursion.

Anyone who knows the heartbreak of losing the pet can understand in an instant. A girl crumpled on the floor, crying while clutching a toy she used to play with her cat before the pet passed away. Posted on August 14th, during the Obon period, however, 526 shows that the girl isn't really alone, and that her cat has come back to visit and snuggle up to her as best it can, even though they may be world's apart.

The piece has received a viral outpouring of emotion, with many from around the world sharing pictures and memorials of their own dearly departed pets, but also some hopeful thoughts about their cat having never really left their side: