January is National Mentoring Month, but today all I can think about is my son, Scott. Just a few moments ago, I walked out of a pre-surgery holding area as nurses wheeled him into an operating room. Although he's now 18 years old, my heart felt squeezed as I watched him lying in a bed connected to an IV.

As a now-legal adult, he signed all his own paperwork when we arrived today (somewhat odd considering that I still pay for everything). When a nurse asked for his authorization so the medical team could disclose medical information to me, he offered a glimpse into the relationship we share. "Sure you can," he said. "I tell him everything—so you can too."

And now for the connection to National Mentoring Month.

A growing number of children watch one or both parents walk out of their lives, leaving them no one to tell "everything" to—their hopes, hurts, fears, dreams, problems, and other realities of life. A myriad of reasons exists as to why. Death and divorce sit atop the list ...