Becky Smith:  

For those of you who don't know, my mom lost her battle with cancer on January 2nd of this year. She fought a hard fight for three years and was the bravest person I know. Here is her obituary and an essay that she wrote during her battle with colon cancer. I hope this gives you a little insight in to the amazing person she was. Sincerely, Dr. Jennifer Smith Ellis (Oldest daughter) Becky was born on Feb. 4, 1954, in Anchorage, Alaska, to Bill and Laura Hampton. She graduated from East High School in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1972. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Baylor University in 1976. Becky practiced nursing for ten years before returning to complete her Masters in Public Administration and her Doctorate in Organizational Leadership and Systems Thinking from Montana State University. She had over thirty years of experience in strategic implementation, financial management, and organizational leadership, including serving as the Director of Leadership at Montana State University’s Middle Eastern Partnership Initiative. She was the founder and owner of two businesses: Systems Management & Research, Inc. and Blue Ocean Innovation Center, one of Bozeman’s first co-working spaces for professionals and entrepreneurs. She was also a contributing author for the book Leadership: Helping Others To Succeed. Becky met and married the love of her life, Dr. J. Steven Smith, at Baylor University. They enjoyed 40 years of marriage and raising their four beautiful daughters in Bozeman. Becky loved to fly fish and sit by the East Gallatin River with Steve where they lived on 20 acres. She was an avid traveler, skier and hiker. Becky also loved to write, play piano, and run races. She was a deeply spiritual person and was involved in many church commitments over her lifetime, including teaching Sunday school, mentoring teens, and serving homeless families through Family Promise. Becky truly lived each day to the fullest. She had an uncanny ability to reach people in a deep and positive way. Her contagious zest for life, optimistic outlook, and warm and friendly personality will be deeply missed by her friends, family, and those who knew her. Becky is survived by her loving husband, Steve; four daughters, Jenny (Ethan) Ellis, Ali (Noah) Kennedy, Kelli (Aaron) Schuit, and Courtney Smith; three grandchildren, Abe, Zoe, and Kendal; and three dogs, Aji, Zorro and Mojo. Essay: Feel free to share!! Why NOT Me? By Becky H. Smith, Ed.D. The gun goes off. I burst out of the starting blocks and feel the adrenalin shoot through me. At 12, I feel a sense of strength in what my body is able to do. I set a school track record and win “best athlete” in 8th grade. I birth four daughters in an hour or more of labor each, twins included. I run a 10K when my first daughter is 2. After my twins, I was hiking to a waterfall the next week. My body is resilient, strong and reliable. At 57 on Mother’s Day, my four daughters and I run a half marathon. My body has never let me down. Last fall, I glanced out at the mountains on our 20 acres in Montana as I hopped in the shower and continued my morning prayers, praying about my internal organs. ‘Strange,’ I thought. Was this a premonition or a preparation for something? Then on December 30, 2013, I was introduced to my softball size mass on my left ovary in an ultrasound. I felt betrayed by my body. How could uninvited cells find a home in my body without my permission? Like an assassin, the multiplying cells didn’t give themselves away in swelling or pain and remained invisible until caught by technology. The handsome Doctor at Mayo Clinic looked into my eyes and with the back of his hand, ran it down the side of my face almost as a romantic gesture. I felt terrified and comforted by his eyes that conveyed genuine care and concern. As our eyes engaged, I tried to understand his message. Was I going to die? The battery of tests ruled out ovarian, uterine and other fatal cancers. The doctors were baffled, but the liver biopsy showed colon cancer cells. How could this be? My 2012 colonoscopy was negative. A repeat was ordered requiring the ingestion of a gallon of nasty liquid to empty my gastrointestinal (GI) tract. I spent the night on the cold tile floor in our hotel room. Early the next morning, weakened and starving, I held my husband’s arm to meet with the GI oncologist. He confirmed colon cancer that had spread to my ovary, liver and peritoneum, in other words, Stage IV. We huddled together in a double bed in the 1921 Kahler Hotel at Mayo in an intimate embrace, but instead of intimacy it was a long, dark night of tears. Heart palpitations, sweaty hands/feet, twisted knots in my stomach; light-headedness and distractedness ruled the first few months of chemo, delivered intravenously every two weeks. I became more introspective and able to face the mass of overwhelming emotions. One of the first ones to surface was anger and resentment. How could this happen to me, the one in my family of origin most committed to physical and emotional health? Hadn’t my daily prayer been for God to heal me from the inside out to create the healthiest relationships and life style as possible? I argued with God and laid face down on the area rug of our funky guesthouse. Why me??!! I screamed. In a quiet voice, I heard, “why NOT you?” Did I really just hear that? Really, God? I climbed into my comfortable meditation chair and got still. ‘God, am I to see this as a special opportunity? You can’t be serious.’ I heard the answer, “yes” and “don’t forget to trust.” Who were these uninvited guests? I started by naming my mass Pearl as she had attracted the largest volume of cancer cells. It seemed symbolic that she grew dramatically over my left ovary, the source of my feminine power. I asked her to explain her presence. She answered, “Becky, I protected you by collecting as many cells as I could so that the cancer would not spread to other organs. At first cell growth was slow, but then like the conveyor belt in Lucy Ricardo’s chocolate factory episode, the cells began to multiply faster and faster. I went into overdrive to intercept as many cells as I could. Speaking for your internal organs, we are relieved to be discovered. Pearl began to shrink due to the chemo blasts. I began “Holy Spirit Cleanses” in meditation from head to toe. This meant...Expand for more