Dear Mommy,

Thank you for being the best Mom in the world. Thank you for being supportive. Thank you for everything you do for me despite your illness.

What not everybody knows is that you are suffering from a terrible and silent disease. Sure Mom, you do look healthy but I know on the inside you are hurting. It took time for me to realize what you were going through. I understand how it feels for people to not understand.

Mommy, you've been hurting so much these last couple of years and I never believed you and I am truly sorry. The doctor's diagnosed you with pretty much every disease except for Lyme because doctor's just don't believe in it. Everyday I regret not believing you when you said you couldn't get up. You've been out of work for almost a year and a half now because of one single tick that infected you when you were 12 years old, little did you know that your life would end up changing. You finally found a doctor that was willing to help you and I have never been so thankful for that person.

Mommy, I know that you can't get out bed somedays. I know that you hate it when you sleep all day but it's whats best for you right now. Everyday I pray you get better, and hope that one day you will no longer have to take crazy amount of medicine that you do everyday. Mom, whats amazing to me is that even though your sick, you are still the strongest most willing person that I know. No matter what, you are always there for each and every person that comes your way.

With all of the difficulties that came with your Chronic Lyme disease, it actually may have some positives to it that you may not have realized. I realized Mommy, that you were my best friend. The last two weeks of summer vacation was something special to me. After getting my wisdom teeth out, you slept in my room having to listen to me whimpering in pain all night, even after being so tired and sick. You took care of me despite the pounding head ache that shot through your head the whole day before. Every night you stayed up and ate ice cream with me and watched Lifetime movies with me until the early morning and I couldn't have asked for anything better than that.

Mommy, thank you for putting up with my bitchy self, thank you for holding me when I thought that I couldn't live anymore. Thank you for teaching me how to be strong and that life will go on even when it gets tough. Most importantly, thank you for being my Mommy. I love you endlessly. You will fight through this disease and I know that because you are my beautiful Mommy. <3

Love,

Your daughter Mariah