Love Gets Under Your Skin
This month we want to shine a light on rockstar Playmaker Meena Julapalli, an integrative pediatric dermatologist and certified Playmaker. She's got a unique perspective on how to change a child's mindset.
Meena uses her clinic and her platform to help kids heal — both physically and mentally. In treating kids with skin disorders, she realized that what they need most of all is love, play, and a space to feel safe. In Meena's words:
"At a Love the Skin You’re In conference I hosted many years ago, one of the questions we asked the participants was 'What are some things that people ask you & how does it make you feel?' And this very brave 5 year old who had alopecia universalis (no hair from head to toe) shared with 50 strangers: 'I often get asked why I’m bald, but sometimes I just wish they would ask me to play with them.'
And if that wasn’t moving enough, a 9 year old girl who was sitting at her table looked at her and said 'Hey, guess what? I’m just like you.' And she takes off her wig. There was this moment of recognition and understanding that passed between them where they finally felt seen, understood and not alone.
What do we all want in this world? To be seen, heard, understood, appreciated for who we are. And because we’re inherently compassionate human beings, we want the same for others."
Needless to say, Meena gets it. But what can Playmaker training give to a doctor with years of education and accreditation?
"Healing can't happen without feeling safe first. Being a Playmaker has given me so many more tools to help kids establish safety physically, emotionally, mentally, socially, and spiritually.
Playmaker training reinforced to me that you can’t give what you don't have. Joy is a state of being where we are deeply connected to ourselves and the world around us that we can create and cultivate even in the face of overwhelming adversity."
We care a lot about joy here at the Playmaker Project (you may know that our first name was actually Project Joy). And Meena's right there with us. In addition to her dermatology practice, she's the "Chief Joyologist" at her wellness & advocacy organization, The Joyful Path.
"The more joy you put out into the world, the more joy you'll find wherever you go. You'll find it in eyes filled with wonder, the smiles on people's faces, the laughter in their hearts, their uplifted spirits, and the kind and grateful gestures of strangers. And the sweet hugs. Oh, the sweet hugs."
We do it for the kids. We do it for Meena, the Playmakers, and all the kind, giving, joyful people out there like her. But, yeah — we do it for the sweet hugs, too.
Stepping in to make a difference in the life of a child isn't only reserved for early childhood educators. If you work with young kids — in any capacity — and want to join our community of trained Playmakers like Meena, check out Playmaker University here.