Y&R’s Beth Maitland Explains Why Every Day Is Mother’s Day for Her Family (EXCLUSIVE)
Long before she became a mom herself to daughter Emelia, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS’ Beth Maitland (Traci) says that Mother’s Day was always a special time. “My birthday is May 12th, so it often falls within days or even on Mother’s Day… [and] my mom, my sister and I often celebrated these days together as one holiday,” she recounted to Soaps In Depth with a smile. “Growing up, we always attended a mother/daughter tea on the day before Mother’s Day, and that was always a fun tradition. It was important to my mom.
“We were co-raised by my maternal grandmother,” she continued, “so there’s a long line of matriarchal history in my family of strong women. So, this day is special beyond the celebration of mothers. It includes for us the celebration of strong women — women who nurture, who love beyond familial bonds, who give without expectation and use their powers for good. I am so fortunate to have had several ‘mothers’ in my life, and I hope that I am that to a few others as well!”
Maitland says that she’s created a few traditions with her own daughter but recognizes that they’ve changed with Emelia growing into adulthood. “I am so blessed to have my daughter home with me for a time while she starts her adult life in the workforce after college,” shared the proud mom. “We need each other in a new way, as adults as well as our mother/daughter relationship. We have not been able to be together for Mother’s Day in a few years — she was studying in England — so we’re looking forward to a great catch-up celebration.
“I’m happy to say we don’t need a holiday to celebrate our love for each other, though!” she added. “Like my sister likes to say, ‘Every day is Mother’s Day when you have great children!’ Part of my Mother’s Day tradition is to spend some quiet time reflecting on my daughter’s accomplishments, her exciting new life, where she is today and to check in with myself about how I’m doing as her mom — just to make sure I’m what she needs in each new phase of her life!”
As for this Mother’s Day, Maitland admitted that the global coronavirus and quarantines have changed their plans. “We are so fortunate to live on a tiny farm, so we are harboring where we can also thrive. But we will find a way to celebrate! It will likely involve spending time outdoors with our animals, a fire pit in the back garden, cooking together and probably a little too much champagne!”
Of course, the actress said that being a mom extends beyond that one-day celebration. “The best thing for me about being a mother is learning that this is the most important contribution to the world I will ever make. Raising a kind, talented, energetic, beautiful world citizen is my hope for the future,” Maitland shared, her voice getting soft. “When Emmie was born, I stopped watching the news. It would just crush me to see the world I was bringing her into. But now I see beyond today’s headlines and into the eyes of our hopeful and bright young people and see in them the power of change, the power of good. It completes me to watch my daughter blossom and emerge as a capable young adult, and I am so blessed to have been a part of her life. I just can’t wait to see what she will accomplish!”
This story originally appeared in our print magazine
