Friend Friday - Meet Valeri Pfahning

On Fridays, I’m going to introduce you to my friends–one at a time.

I’m going to do this because I believe when we are introduced to someone with words from the heart, they become a part of our community. Our community grows. Our circle of care extends.

I love meeting someone, learning about their dreams or needs and feeling into whether I have something to offer. I love connecting people. I love helping others take the next right step in their lives.

So, I’m going to introduce you to people I love. And it may inspire you. You may have something to offer. You may have a message for someone I introduce. He or she may have something to offer you. I want to offer the dance of connection. I want to grow a community that is steeped in love and inclusivity and care.

Val is a rare gem. I’ve known her only a little more than two years but she is tremendously dear to me. She is endlessly supportive, wildly creative and fiercely strong. She is a powerful and dependable mirror in my life–reflecting the truth of what she sees.

This is the kind of reflection and support she sends on a regular basis:

“i think who you are, and what you give/teach all came together tonight. there were so many moments where your words, the music, the dance, and our souls melted into one. such precious beauty. i feel like we all expanded into each other effortlessly. the depth of our exploration is profound.”

She is one of the least judgmental people I know. She truly does hold anyone who speaks to her with reverence and with patience. She asks questions that provoke thought and growth. And she asks those same questions of herself.

About a year ago, I asked some friends for some brainstorming and reflection about how they see the work I do– how they see me in the world. Val made a 6 foot collage with fabulous images and phrases. It was LOVE bursting off the page.

She inspires me on a daily basis to offer more love, patience and playfulness. And she’s my pal in being determined to get to the gold of who we are even if we’re terrified to dive into the necessary muck to get there.

Val, by the way, is also one of the most productive people I know. She is a visual effects artist/ supervisor for Stargate Studios and does crazily cool work like THIS (http://gizmodo NULL.com/5473819/outdoor-green-screen-use-on-tv-is-insane). So, she works long hours under pressure but then shows up for every amazing class, lecture, or workshop I’ve been to in the last two years. With a smile on her face. And a kind of wonder and willingness that is rare.

So, dear amazing community out there, here’s one area we can rally around Val: This woman is ready for an amazing, strong, creative MAN. (Yes, with capital letters!) She has been doing such excellent relationship work and she’s about as magnetic and ready as they come. She is beautiful, sensitive and wide open. Who do you know? Could there be any amazing available men actually reading this? WHat about your cousin? What about that guy in the class you took two months ago? I’m getting giddy writing this. There is magic in the power of community.

Just write me here with ideas and I’ll pass them along.