Andrea Aragon - Author, One Good Reason: A Memoir of Addiction and Recovery, Music and Love

Andrea Aragon

Andrea Aragon is the co-author of the new book One Good Reason: A Memoir of Addiction and Recovery, Music and Love.

Andrea Aragon and Séan McCann found each other in 2002. Andrea, all too familiar with the alcoholism and trauma from her father, had battled depression, eating disorders, a suicide attempt, her own heavy drinking, and a divorce by the time she was just 26 years old. She was broken but resilient, and depending on what you believe was destined to meet Séan. 

Together, Séan and Andrea have survived through the stormy waters of addiction with 2 boys, 2 dogs, 2 cats, and an inspirational story for the ages that they hope will help others to help themselves. 

In One Good Reason, Andrea and Sean offer a shockingly honest and ultimately hopeful message about the immeasurable power of honesty, love, commitment, and family.

I’m so excited for you to connect with Andrea, check out her new book, and follow along as she continues to help bring people out of the darkness and into the light and life through sharing her personal story of addiction, recovery, and hope.

I'd love it if you'd introduce yourself, what you do, and what you're working on.

Hello! I’m Andrea Aragon. A mother, author, writer, speaker, wife and manager of my husband’s music career and life   As you can glean by my job titles, I do all the things, as I’m sure most women (or head of households) do.  Currently my husband and I are out -- or as “out” as we can be during a worldwide pandemic -- marketing and promoting our recently written memoir, One Good Reason: A Memoir of Addiction and Recovery, Music and Love.  We like to call it a ‘we’moir because it’s written by both of us in competing chapters telling of the same event from each of our perspectives.

How did you get started?

I’ve always been a writer, though a closeted one.  I started writing journals when I was nine years old and have them through to this day.  I never actually intended on sharing our story with the masses, but after Séan got sober and began doing speaking events, I saw how much he was able to affect and help people, and if I could be part of that journey I definitely wanted to be.  So when he started writing this book, he came to me and asked me what I thought of this particular event that happened to us, well, I showed him exactly what that event looked like to ME, the sober person, during that time, and it just clicked for us that THIS was the book we needed to write.  His abuse and addiction didn’t only affect him, it affected me and our children as well, and that was the story that needed telling to help others.

What inspired the work that you're doing?

Again, seeing Séan when he was doing his musical keynotes and the affect he had on people in attendance was a great motivating factor.  When people see him being vulnerable, exposing what should be his darkest secrets, and not falling apart, they get strength from it.   And since we’ve written this book, I’ve had the exact same experiences with people reaching out to me, letting me know how impactful our words and story are in their lives.  It helps us all feel not alone and part of a community. Which really, right now, is what we need more than anything.

What is your biggest passion? Do you feel like you're living your passion and purpose?

Wow, that’s a loaded question isn’t it?  I have many passions.  Yes, I’m definitely living one of them right now with this book, being that it’s been received so well and is a best seller in Canada.  Being able to help bring people out of darkness and into light and life is an amazing feeling, and helping humans is definitely what I think I was put on this earth to do - being in service to humans to help do some (any) good.  I definitely feel deeply passionate about that.  Yet, raising my boys is also a passion.  I know that sounds corny and perhaps trite, but now that they’re a bit older (12 and 15), it’s so amazing to see them become these cool, loving (and sometimes completely infuriating) people.  I think I have way more work to do in order to achieve my true purpose.  For me it’s not a one-time thing, or one event.  Living my passion and purpose evolves and continues to grow every time I make advances in what I love doing.

What is your joy blueprint? What lights you up, brings you joy, and makes you feel the most alive?

I’ve never heard it described like that, Joy Blueprint.  I like it. It asks not only what makes you happy, but how are you the architect of getting to that point – amazing question.  I love making people love themselves.  Or at least like themselves a little bit more.  We’re so hard on ourselves it’s crazy.  As I describe in our book One Good Reason, I spent most of my young adult life hating myself, so much so that I self-harmed when I was younger.  I don’t want anyone to feel that pain, and if I can help direct people to a life of at least self-acceptance (if self-love is too hard), that’s where I find my joy. I love connecting with people and standing with them in community so that we all feel a little less alone.

How do you live intentionally? Are there tools/resources/practices that you rely on to help you stay mindful and grounded?

I try to make a very concerted effort to be present as much as possible.  I say that knowing that there are several hours in the day where I’m just doing what I need to do to get through my day, but I make sure to take at least 10 minutes out of my day to just ‘be’.  That helps me reconnect with living IN my day and not just THROUGH my day.  In that 10 minutes I breathe deeply, feel the ground under my feet and find at least one thing I’m grateful for that day.  Good lord I know that all sounds so superficial and silly but those practices truly bring me back to an aware state of mind and out of the fog of every day.

What would your younger self think about what you're doing now?

Hahahaha! Oh she’d for sure think I wasn’t doing enough.  She’d wonder why I didn’t get to the Olympics in rowing or go to Oxford on a Rhodes scholarship.  Yea, pretty sure she’d be disappointed in my lack of “accomplishments”.  But, what she doesn’t know (because of her very young and naïve age) is that the accomplishments of coming through adversity with strength and grace, and appreciation for life and people, and my calling greater than myself is FAR greater than any of those other accomplishments she set out for her herself.  It’s ok…she’ll learn it as she grows.

Do you have a go-to mantra or affirmation? 

Don’t give up.  Ever. And, You’re SO much stronger than you think you are.  And finally Love always wins.

What is your biggest dream?

To have our story reach hundreds of thousands of people who need to hear that they can make it through their hurt and trauma.  To have our vulnerability reach out and touch a massive amount of people so they too can begin healing.

To learn more about Andrea visit her website www.seanmccannsings.com and via email andrea@seanmccannsings.com on Instagram @seanmccannsings Twitter @seanmccannsings

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