Fresh Morning Breaths

Donald Hughes' deepest passions have been religion, spirituality, and philosophy. As a child, he questioned the belief system he was born into. In 1979, he started practicing Buddhism, and in 2009, he started doing energy work. Dony Hia is the evolution of this journey. Today, Don lives in Oakland, California, with his wife and youngest daughter. He enjoys working with his hands and foraging for wild mushrooms. "Life is not so much reality as it is interpretation!" -Dony Hia

My life is better today than I had ever hoped for when I was younger. My first steps on this journey were not easy. We were poor, and there was terrible abuse. Yet inside there was a strong spirit pulling me forward. For me, it took many years walking this journey to find the peace and joy I feel today. Hopefully Fresh Morning Breaths can shorten this journey for others. Dony Hia's journey shows we are never too old to heal past traumas. Fresh Morning Breaths is a contemplative and spiritual journey, not a religious journey. Dogma is someone else's path; spirituality is our own for each of us. Fresh Morning Breaths speaks of ways we can change our interpretations so that people can interpret their own lives in a balanced and joyful way. While you walk with me on my journey, I hope you contemplate the steps of your very own journey. After all, you are the only one who will truly walk the steps of the journey you have already taken and will take in the future.