Good Enough Is Good Enough

Confessions of an Imperfect Catholic Mom
Foreword by: Lisa M. Hendey
$15.95

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Format: Paperback

Publication date: April 13, 2018

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Description

The truth about parenting is that you don't have to get everything right and your family doesn't need to be perfect. Colleen Duggan learned those lessons through years of struggling with unrealistic expectations.

In this frank and intimate story, Duggan explores the emotional and spiritual healing that needed to take place in her life in order to be the parent, spouse, and follower of Christ God created her to be. Sharing both funny parenting moments and difficult times of self-scrutiny, Duggan invites us to join her in experiencing God's healing mercy and shows how to allow that healing to rejuvenate our lives and revitalize our families.

As a child, Duggan smoothed over the jagged edges of her difficult home life with good grades and perfect behavior. By the time Duggan was an adult, her drive to constantly be in control was her way of life. It was only when she began raising her family that she realized how damaging this compulsion was for both her and the people around her.

That's when she began her faltering journey toward letting God be in control.

In Good Enough Is Good Enough, Duggan shares her heartaches—learning her child has a genetic disorder that might lead to cancer; realizing that her drive to do and be everything for everyone strained her marriage; and struggling with feelings of worthlessness after leaving her job to become “just” a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom. She also shares parenting difficulties we've all faced—trying to keep her kids quiet during Mass; wondering whether she's giving them enough opportunities for growth; and balancing time spent on herself, her kids, and others. With each story, we feel the brokenness she tried to cover by being a “perfect” parent and the eventual realization that she needed to find healing.

Through the saints, the Sacraments, and Catholic traditions and literature, Duggan found the Church a place where God's love and healing grace embraced her. She invites us to the same conclusion: whether we are dealing with everyday frustrations or life-changing tragedies, it is in the heart of the Catholic Church that we are finally free to let go of our facades in order to embrace our brokenness and find healing.

Duggan has created a study guide for small-group use.

Product Details

Pages: 160

Trim size: 5.5 x 8.5 inches

ISBN: 9781594717314

Imprint: Ave Maria Press

  • “Transparent.”

    “I am thrilled by Colleen's honesty. Her transparency about the challenges she has faced in her own faith walk invites us into a deeper consideration of our own imperfections.”

    Lisa M. Hendey
    Founder of CatholicMom.com and author of The Grace of Yes

  • “Sane and sensible.”

    “Every mother has experienced that awful moment when she discovers that no matter how hard she tries, she will never get it all right; she will never be a perfect parent. Colleen Duggan has written the sane and sensible way to refine on that impossible goal.”

    Elizabeth Scalia
    Author of Strange Gods

  • “A soothing balm.”

    “A soothing balm for your soul and a cheery cup of tea for your weary heart. Know, moms, that there is hope for you, for your family, and for eternity.”

    Sarah A. Reinhard
    Catholic author, blogger, and coeditor of The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion

  • “Motivating, honest, heartbreaking, funny, and challenging.” 

    Colleen is open about the messiness of her life, from issues in her own childhood to the discovery that one of her children has a genetic disorder, because she wants to encourage other moms to move toward healing. This book is motivating, honest, heartbreaking, funny, and challenging.”

    Barb Szyszkiewicz
    Catholic blogger and editor of CatholicMom.com

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Additional Resources

The Litany of Humility for Parents prayer card
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Interview on Catholic Connection with Teresa Tomeo
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Interview on the Danielle Bean Podcast
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Interview on Kresta in the Afternoon
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