We rarely think about stairs. We run up and down them and pay little attention to them. But when we encounter a stone staircase in a 12^th century building we do stop to notice how different they are from the ones we are used to seeing.

The staircase in the picture is in a tiny town called Sarlat in the southwestern part of France. The building has had many uses but now the town has turned the upper floor into a series of intimate art galleries. There is only a small sign with an arrow pointing up outside the door and once inside you face these steep winding stairs.

At the top the landing opens up and several French artists are working on their watercolors and landscapes and each stops and greets you with a cheery, “Bon Jour,” and a smile.

Later, when you leave, you go back down the stairs and take the time to notice that each of the stair treads is worn away into a gentle dip in the middle from the thousands of feet that have gone up and down over the hundreds of years.

But far from looking damaged they just look often used and well loved. People are like stairs, they get older and parts get worn. And like a staircase leading to a welcoming place, when a person has been a path of love, their dips and ridges only make us smile and love them more. 

Photo Sue Harrison, location Sarlat, France.