Dad, I want you to know the kind of stories I will be telling about you. Words won't ever do justice to the kind of man you are -- the kind of hero you've been to so many people.

Even in a situation where the father was really incapable of loving, a review of what actually happened can help an adult daughter understand why things were the way they were then.

I wanted to remember my father's stories, and how he told them. What emerged was not a story of death, but a story of life. Our life together.

This week I ask guys to describe their dad in two words. The answers tell a lot about these men and that state of fatherhood in general.

In honor of all the fellow fathers out there and the women and children who love them, let's talk man to man for a moment: nothing is more manly than taking control of your own health.