More cancer

My mother called me this evening to let me know that my Uncle Don may have cancer. He went to the hospital for a biopsy of a lump in his abdomen on Wednesday. He's been losing weight and this lump seems to have been growing larger.

I've lost a large number of my relatives to cancer. It's inevitable with our genes. I just hate that this uncle may pass soon. He is very health-conscience. He jogs the beach in Florida every morning, eats very healthy, and has a wonderful life. I grew very close to my uncle and aunt during the years I lived in Florida. Their house was almost like my parents' house - not in style or size but warmth and expectations. Uncle Don and my father are the most alike of all of my father's siblings (and he has four remaining siblings; he used to have six siblings). I saw these two somewhat as parents while I lived far away from my own; they saw me as one of their grandchildren (which is fitting, as my actual cousins are my middle-aged - I fit in better with their children, agewise).

And now, I am left with the task of finding focus to write lesson plans, grade papers, and getting geared up for another week of teaching high school students about purpose in writing. How do I separate myself? How do I simply do what needs to get done?