I Helped Transform the White House for Christmas and It Reminded Me of the Transformational Power of Home
Guest Column by Christy Schaper
As a mother and wife, it was an incredible blessing to serve our country as part of the volunteer team of White House Christmas decorators. Although I have held various careers, titles and have an eclectic work history, this was an incredibly meaningful capstone to my life’s greatest accomplishment—home educating my two, now college-age sons, for the past decade.
First Lady Melania Trump’s theme for the 2025 White House Christmas decor, “Home Is Where the Heart Is,” allowed me to take in the beauty and hope depicted throughout the Residence, and particularly in the Red Room where the decor featured 10,000 crafted blue butterflies. The metaphor of the blue butterflies, symbolic of Mrs. Trump’s initiative supporting foster children transitioning to adulthood, caused me to reflect back on my own family and our homelife.
Home, like the cocoon of the butterfly, is necessary for shelter, for care and for comfort. Its purpose is safety. Life in the cocoon is quiet, slow and purposeful in preparation for a new season. Our homes each have their own culture and traditions. And, for me, the goal of our home was to launch our children, each with inherent dignity, as beautiful butterflies into the world.
So often we think that we have to “go big or go home” to live out the ideal of the American dream. But, more often it is the small acts right in front of us over time that bears fruit. For me, that included being present with my children, taking part in cultivating a warm and loving environment for them to thrive and aligning their educational pathway to their individual talents and strengths. The virtues I modeled as the heart of our home were: kindness, generosity, love of neighbor, and a spirit of service. The greatest contributions that can be made to our future begin at home. When our children then attempt to emerge from our homes into the world, just like the butterfly, it is my hope that the love from home fosters an understanding of our shared humanity and dignity.
I encourage everyone this season to pause, put away the distractions and focus on the beauty that lies in the heart of each of our homes. Worry less about the material and cherish time with the very people with whom we share our homes.
Regardless of the size of our dwellings, the titles we hold at work or the personal convictions and choices that drive our decisions, we have an opportunity to change the trajectory of our future by investing in our homelife and cultivating rich and deep connections, which add stability to the world.
Again, I reflect on the butterflies in the Red Room. Consider the metamorphosis that happens. It is a cycle. And each stage is a chance to begin anew. It is never too late to start with what you have at this moment and begin creating something beautiful.
With our homes as a cornerstone to making a contribution to something greater than ourselves, the American spirit endures.
With a past work experience that includes small business, not-for-profit management, and corporate America, Christy has recently retired from her most meaningful endeavor; homeschooling her two sons. She is launching a consulting business this spring and lives in Alton, Illinois, with her husband Tyler of 25 years.