Dad And 'Bonus Dad' Share Hopeful Message About Blended Families

HUBBARD, TX — Willow Megnon alternates between taking her two fathers to a daddy-daughter dance, illustrating in an adorable series of photos how blended families can live happily together and minimize the collateral damage of a divorce. The term “blended family” has become almost a cliche, but the Texas 5-year-old’s biological and step families have “molded ourselves into one unique family,” her soon-to-be stepfather said.

One photo in particular drives home the point. Wearing a fancy party dress, a corsage and a princess tiara, Willow is flanked on either side by her mother’s fiance, Dylan Lenox, and her biological father, David Lewis, who give her affectionate kisses on each cheek.

Lenox, who calls himself “Bonus Dad,” posted it on his Facebook page, explaining that he and Lewis have worked hard to develop a relationship so their children will grow up knowing “the power of love.”

“Not only did I gain a daughter,” he wrote, “I gained a brother and a best friend.”

Sarah Megnon, who owns Willie + Rose Photography, and Lewis divorced two years into their marriage. Willow’s happiness has been their top priority, and Lenox actually “fell in love with Willow before me,” Megnon told Yahoo Lifestyle, explaining that she introduced him to her daughter when was 18 months old.

Lenox and Lewis discovered they liked each other quite a bit, too.

“Dylan and David have a strong friendship,” Megnon said. “It’s never a competition with him and Dylan. It’s what is best for Willow. Our daughter is very loved and will continue to know what unconditional love is.”

Their friendship was a bit awkward in the beginning, but Lenox told television station KWTX making the effort has been worth it.

“The first time I met David, I carried Willow out on my hip for her to get in his truck and the first thing I did was shake his hand and introduce myself and I think it was more out of respect,” Lenox told the television station. “I respected the fact he was the biological father.

“But even over the weekend David told me, at first, it was especially difficult for him as I lived in the same house with her and she would call me ‘Daddy Dylan.’ He was saying It was difficult at first but the more he got to know me and my values and my family it made it so much easier.”

Lenox has a 6-year-old son from a previous relationship and he and Megnon are parents to 2-year-old Tatum. Lewis is involved in their lives, too.

Lewis lives in Las Cruces, New Mexico, but it was his year to take Willow to the daddy-daughter dance, so he made the trip to Hubbard. He is spending the week on his ex-wife’s couch.

“When we care more about our children (on both sides of the party) than the way society has taught us to be towards (ex’s/baby mommas/daddy’s) then walls will fall, life will be free of hatred and remorse, and our children will conquer the foolish ‘norms’ that media has shoved in our faces,” Lenox wrote on his Facebook post. “[Lewis] stays at our home when he visits, because family is always welcome. He is not an outsider, he is and will always be apart of my life for the simple fact that we share the same daughter!”

Megnon hopes the photos send an uplifting message to others who want to take the “step” out of their blended families.

“I hope people take away from this message to show compassion, kindness and love for the sake of your children,” she told Yahoo. “You have to set that example as a parent.”

Lenox is flabbergasted by the Facebook post’s reach, which was shared 131,000 times and received 20,000 comments.

“You know, in the back of my head I thought this is something that should be shared but to the sheer volume it reached, no we never in a million years thought it would go that far,” Lenox told KWTX.

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Megnon was equally surprised.

“I love these two guys so much. They’re super awesome dads,” she told KWTX. “And I’m really lucky. So thank you everybody for following our little story. “

Megnon, Lenox and Lewis told KWTX that the harmony they have achieved comes down to their shared commitment for the children to learn the best traits of humankind — love, compassion, acceptance and forgiveness.

Those commenting on the photos congratulated Megnon, Lenox and Lewis for “getting it right” and for setting an example for how co-parenting should be approached.

“This little girl deserves this,” one person commented. “Thank you for setting the bar high for couples who are no longer together but must co-parent.”

Another user who raised her children with her ex-husband said that when co-parenting is approached “as a complete family,” children benefit.

“His wife is a sweetheart and there’s nothing but friendly behavior between all of us,” she wrote. “Our children grew up in two loving homes with four parents that were always on the same page and who attended all their functions together as a complete family. No drama, no hate. Just family. It’s super awesome.”

Striking a melancholy tone, another user noted related the opposite experience as the child of divorced parents.

“Love this!” she wrote. “My parents divorced and everything about it was toxic. Neither wanted to grow up. I wish my parents would have treated it this way.”

Read the full thread here:

Photo courtesy of Willie + Rose Photography