On this episode of “Pieces of Us I talk with Mario Coculuzzi about his struggles in life and finding the community he needed as a young gay man and as a fierce drag queen. The desire for community is a basic human instinct. We want to be surrounded by people who allow us to be truly ourselves. We want to be surrounded by people who love us and support us but sometimes finding this community is extremely difficult; especially when you are not even sure who you are. Finding a community can help develop understanding and compassion.

Have you ever looked back on a time in your life and regretted that you had not listened to your intuition? Trusting your gut is very difficult because it is based on a hunch as opposed to facts. In this episode, Nicole Benoit shares her story of a failed relationship. She explains how red flags were present but how she was unable to recognize the deceit in her relationship until it was too late.

Infertility is so common; however, so many couples suffer in silence because it feels so uncommon. In part two, Brian (my husband) and I continue our conversation about our difficult journey of infertility. Our hope is that this will help other couples struggling to know they are not alone.

On the very first episode I sit down with my husband, Brian, and we discuss our journey through infertility. There is a hidden pain and a sense of shame that accompanies infertility. Brian and I want to break the silence and share our story and hopefully in turn start a dialogue for other people to feel comfortable to share their fertility struggles. This is a very candid conversation and it may be an emotional trigger for some individuals.