Hadley + Adam // Inspira(shown) // Part 2

If you missed it yesterday, first check out Part 1 of Hadley and Adam’s story.

Art is a powerful thing. An outlet. A form of expression. A hobby. A career. A love. A tool. And even at times, a distraction. A healing process. A lifeline.

As I mentioned before, Hadley and her family are artists. Like, seriously talented artists. They have been making pottery ever since I’ve known them and have now added so many things to their repertoire, including blowing glass. Their backyard and garage is an eclectic collection of knick knacks, tools, kilns, pottery wheels, stumps around a bonfire, flowers… seriously… I could go on.  Their easy going attitude, along with their beautifully crafted house and decorations is so incredibly cozy and welcoming. (Not to mention when I got there, the beautiful hand-crafted plates were filled with breakfast potatoes, eggs and other delicious snacks).

It didn’t surprise me to find out that Hadley and Adam decided to move home to Hadley’s parents during the summer when the majority of Adam’s treatment was taking place.

It sounds peaceful doesn’t it? Staying at a house near the beach in the summer… well you also have to know that Hadley runs an art camp. Paper making, collage creating, clay-forming and everything in between. Her youngest student was three years old and her oldest was 85-years old. So peaceful might not exactly be the best word. I’d go with active, and full of life.

Adam said that the summer he spent living at Hadley’s parents was exactly what he needed. He spent his summer making art and hanging out with kids. Kids who have an incredibly good intuition. Kids who knew something was wrong, and rather than pretending like everything was okay, would ask questions. Kids who genuinely cared, and hated to see someone sick. Though there were times when he had to step out of the house, and take a walk on the beach by himself, there’s something about creating, making art, and being surrounded by a bunch of happy-go-lucky kids that helped Adam get through that summer.

So, what better a thing to capture than Hadley and Adam doing what they do best… making stuff. These pictures are just a few snapshots of the process of making clay. Because, who buys clay? That’s too easy. And this is way more fun. (I can’t say that I helped at all, I sort of just watched and made comments).

Though I am not positive on the exact details, I do know that Adam is doing well. He’s currently somewhere between going in for check-ups and scans every six months to once a year. I’m not sure if that technically means you are in remission, but in my head, he’s won this battle. He survived what some people do not, and he did it with a smile on his face (most of the time). And Hadley? She did it too. They both did. And I am so proud to call them friends, and share their story. So leave these lovely people some comments, and thank you for being a part of this!