As a child, I raised my hands to the stars, offering my body as a puppet, giving them permission to be the puppeteer.During painful and lonely periods of my childhood, I would always talk to the moon and the stars asking for them to both listen to me and guide me. Sometimes I would cry, share my feelings with them and other times I would pray with an open heart asking for their help. Always knowing and trusting the rhythm that was inside of me I shared how much I wanted to learn to use percussion and drums within sound healing. I remember stretching my arms high to the sky with the promise that they could use my body and as I did this, I shared these words with absolute trust: “I will be your puppet, use my body, teach me, guide me and I will welcome you into my body.” I had previously played with puppets throughout my childhood, so I understood that when I pulled the strings I became the puppeteer who controlled the movements of the puppet. Having talked so much to the stars, I had developed so much trust in their presence. When I raised my arms I truly believed that these strings would come down from spirit and connect to my limbs. This devotional prayer amplified my commitment to explore my own body, having already spent 3-4 years playing it. As I used my hands to navigate the natural contours, different areas of my body produced such a range of sounds. Nobody had ever told me to reach for the skies and talk to the stars when I was a child. I learned to do this because nobody was listening to me and I believed only the skies heard my voice. In this family of mine I felt alone, unseen, even misunderstood, but to the stars I was seen, loved and heard. I knew what I never received from my family, I received from the stars. Even to this day, in my adult years, I still continue to talk to the stars, moon and sun and I always feel heard. As I trusted the guidance of the puppeteer above, I developed an incredible sensitivity of touch towards my own body, which I later shared with both the drum and percussion. This inspired such a depth of awareness towards my sensitivity around touching, feeling and balancing myself within the creation of sound. These strings continued to guide me from the skies above, providing healing as they moved and connected with my bones, arteries and veins. As the puppeteer from above pulled the strings I followed with an open heart in absolute union. These actions of connective movement receiving their guidance as they pulled the strings created a foundational trust that has helped me refine this path of precision. Each pull of the string has invited me closer and closer to their presence in the stars and the creativity of sounds in pure harmony. I am so so grateful to my family for the experiences I faced in my childhood. Because without those experiences, I may have never reached for the stars. I may have never received their guidance leading me to look for love above. Because of these connections through the strings I have been able to grow way beyond any unexpected expectations both as a child and an adult. When we are children we are free to follow our imagination, but when we become adults, we are often conditioned to believe that this magic disappears. But really our imagination never leaves us, we choose to leave the imagination, because we follow a different path. We learn that ‘magic’ is a word that is often associated with a white rabbit being pulled from a top hat. But for me, this magic continues to live in my bones, it has become a way of seeing, sensing, believing and more importantly being. When I look up to see the stars now, I remember the many talks we have shared and of course I still remain open to receive their strings. I know they love me, guide me, teach me and connect me to a self I adore, deep within my core and nothing can ever hurt me, because they continue to guide me. And this trust of remembering is at the core of everything I teach. Because when we open to these strings above we too can grow and be shown a deeper way to be. Like I did as a child, we can all welcome a love that our souls understand, and our minds need to be learn. We can learn to trust again and truly be. So, I say thank you to these strings, for they have guided me, reminded me and loved me forever teaching me to reach for the sky and to open my heart with absolute trust. And so I close my eyes and welcome these strings in my heart that heard everything they shared, guided my arms to move and connect with all the drums and percussion I have played. With the blessed reminder I always belong.
For I am so so grateful I heard their song. For whenever I play, their voices are heard.
Both child and man fly like a bird.
We fly through the stars, the moon and sun.
Weaving together, forever as one. These strings are inside me.
With the stars from above.
With a blessed reminder.
I am always in love. © Pete Bengry 2026 Top image - credit to Nega + Lower image - credit to Nathan Jennings
|
