A Letter of Remembrance from Christian and Brooke Alexander

Some moments create a clear before and after. For our generation, September 11, 2001, was one of them. We were children in Northern California, but we understood that something terrible had happened and that countless lives had changed forever. We also saw what followed: neighbors caring for one another, communities mobilizing, and people finding ways to help strangers they had never met. Today, we remember the lives lost, the families forever affected, and the first responders and ordinary people who demonstrated extraordinary courage.

At ten years old, Brooke learned about a New York school affected by the attacks and raised approximately $500 to help. The experience taught her that, even when a tragedy feels far greater than any one person, we can still choose to do something. September 11 also helped shape Christian’s decision to serve in the United States Navy. During his Navy service, Christian deployed to Tripoli, Libya, where he served as the sole medical provider for Marines assigned to a U.S. diplomatic security mission. Our paths were different, but both grew from a lesson we first began to understand then: community reaches far beyond the place we call home.

More than twenty years later, that lesson remains with us. We do not always know what another person is carrying, but we can meet one another with compassion, patience, and care. This principle has shaped us as siblings, as business owners, and as the family behind Nest Bedding. On September 11, we pause to remember, to honor those whose lives were changed, and to renew a simple commitment: when people are hurting, we move toward one another.

In remembrance of September 11, 2001.
Christian Alexander and Brooke Alexander