I’ve always wanted to walk along this wall, my husband says. I bike everywhere and do a lot of yoga, working for good balance as I approach later life. I follow my husband, suppress the urge to remark that it’s not a tightrope and we could move faster. A drink of water didn’t help and even chocolate wouldn’t keep the mountains and sky in place. Some time around when my kids’ fear diminished, when they started to trust their own muscle and bone, my fear rose up and my trust faltered.

Source: The Irish Times March 23, 2026 07:31 UTC