“My name is Honor. It means you honor people; you do special things for them and thank them for what they did for you.” 

Honor Emma Borek was born in 2009, just 2 years after her Uncle Travis Manion made the ultimate sacrifice while serving his country in Iraq. Though Travis has been gone 10 years, his legacy of selflessness and leadership lives on in his eight year old niece.

Through friends and family, Honor has learned about the man her uncle was; that Uncle Travis was a good brother to her mom when they were younger; that he always looked out for her when they played together and protected others from bullies; that he served as a Marine and was shot by a sniper while protecting two of his friends and pulling them to safety.

Honor takes great pride in her name, and has always wanted to live up to it, by doing good things for others. That’s why on her 8th birthday, Honor decided to give away her birthday money to homeless people who she noticed were clearly in need. When asked why she was compelled to give it away, Honor simply responded, “I decided to do that because I have a house and all the things I need, and they're sitting on the ground with nothing.” Her compassion put money in the hands of someone so he could feed his kids for a few week, or find shelter on a cold winter night.

As she continues through life, Honor knows her worth isn’t defined by the lunch table she sits at, or which sports team she makes. Rather, her kindness and compassion will continue to change lives, just as it did with that homeless man. She will continue the legacy that was left to her by Uncle Travis honor his life with a spirit of generosity. As Honor shows us, Character Does Matter, and we’re never too young to begin shaping our own or setting the example for others.

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