Is a title mandatory?

I really dislike this time of year.  The dark starting earlier and earlier.  The cold creeping in.  The holidays coming up....

My mom called me Friday evening and my heart started pounding.  See, my mom, actually no one in my family, ever calls me.  Unless someone has died.  Or they need something.  As soon as I saw her name on the caller ID I began a checklist of who has a dangerous occupation or has a serious medical condition.  I immediately thought of my dad, because he does have a rather dangerous occupation.  Or my sister, who has medical issues that she is still coping with.  And she has been in the hospital or taken to emergency at least once a year for the past three years.

So imagine my surprise when she just wanted to know if I wanted something out of the attic.  She's been cleaning out the attic for the past six months and came across some pots and pans and dinnerware that I might like.   We actually had a pleasant conversation.  And I didn't have to call to initiate it.

Which leads me to the thing with the heart pounding fear.  I have anxiety, sometimes very serious anxiety issues.  I struggle tremendously this time of year with depression, which goes hand in hand with anxiety.  So while I'm out walking at dusk, which starts at 6 now, I fight panic as I try and decide who is dead or in the hospital.  Not a good way to go through life.