What it’s like to be a mom on the mountain
Maxine Jackson and her son, Kyle.
From the time he was a baby, my son Kyle has known Table Mountain as “mommy’s mountain” and if it’s covered by cloud I always ask him, “Who stole mommy’s mountain?” That’s how great my passion for “my mountain” is!
Just over three years ago, it was time to return to the working world after six years of being an almost full-time mom to my very precious son.
Returning to work was a necessary evil at the time – and a huge emotional adjustment for both mom and son. By what I truly believe to be a miracle, I ended up getting a job at the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway.
I do confess, though, that I cried every night of my first two weeks back at work – probably something only a back-to-work mom would understand. But, as the weeks went by and I started to find myself as a person in my own right (no longer just as “Kyle’s mom”), I really began enjoying making a difference on “my mountain”.
As I grew to know the Cableway family, I realised how blessed I was to be surrounded by such special people. Even though I have only given birth to one child, I have many children at the mountain – not to mention grandchildren! We have a saying within the Cableway family that you should not drink the water on Table Mountain; you will surely fall pregnant if you do!
Even as my mountain children grow up and move to new pastures, we stay in touch with each other. They have become the brothers and sisters my son never had. My proudest moments have been bringing Kyle to my mountain to meet these brothers and sisters.
When Kyle started Grade 1, it was quite a talking point that his mom worked at the Cableway. While I was watching a cricket match the other day, one of the little boys happened to read my name badge and took note of our Cableway logo. He was clearly impressed that I worked at the Cableway and I felt proud to be wearing my uniform.
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