Matty Woods's dad just died. Nigel passed at home on a "beautiful bluebird January day" — surrounded by family, with a glass of Dalmore scotch in hand, on his own terms. After nine years fighting prostate cancer, Nigel chose MAID — medical assistance in dying — and gave his family a real, deliberate, dying-with-dignity goodbye. This is one of the most powerful conversations we've recorded on the Dead Dads Podcast, and Matty is sitting in the rawest part of grief: fresh, early, still finding the words.For the men out there who've just lost your dad, who are watching your father die slowly from cancer, or who are trying to figure out how to deal with anticipatory grief that doesn't follow any rulebook — this episode is for you.Nigel Woods spent nine years fighting prostate cancer (which he renamed "MDS — mangled dick syndrome," because of course he did). He wrote letters to his grandkids. He recorded videos for his friends. He built a bridge on his property he'd cry coming home to. And when he chose medical assistance in dying, he gave his family one final, impossible gift — the kind of goodbye most of us don't get to give the people we love.Matty Woods came into the studio fresh from emceeing a 1,200-person celebration of life for his dad. In this episode of the Dead Dads Podcast, he tells us:– Why his dad's two rules for his celebration of life were "no sadness, and a shot of scotch before you walk in"– What it felt like to hold his father's hand as he passed and "breathe in all of his energy"– The sign he got on a plane to Hawaii — and the neon-green streak across the night sky he'll never forget– Why he's "finding it difficult to stay really sad," and what anticipatory grief actually feels like when you've had nine years to brace for it– How he's now living as "the steward of his dad's legacy," and asking himself "What would Nig do?"This is a conversation about losing your dad to cancer. About medical assistance in dying in Canada and what dying with dignity actually looks like inside one family's living room. About anticipatory grief, the long goodbye, and the strange "lucky it hurts this much" feeling that follows when a father passes away exactly the way he wanted to.If your dad died — recently or years ago — or you're walking through it right now with him: you are not alone. Welcome to the club no one wants to join.Losing your dad sucks. But talking about it doesn't have to.—The Dead Dads Podcast is the only podcast for men who've lost their dads. Grief for men, men's mental health, and male grief — unfiltered. Two guys whose dads are dead, sitting across from guests who get it.Hosted by Roger Nairn and Scott Cunningham.—Chapters:00:00 Cold open — 1,200 people, one shot of scotch03:00 Nigel's rules for his own celebration of life06:30 "I'm lucky it hurts this much"07:30 Mangled Dick Syndrome — prostate cancer, dark humor edition12:00 Anticipatory grief and the August scare13:00 Choosing MAID — medical assistance in dying on his own terms15:00 The bluebird day, the bridge, and the scotch17:30 Holding his hand as his father passed away18:45 The plane, the comet, and "There he is. He's running."23:30 Emceeing in front of 1,200 people30:00 "What would Nig do?" — living as the steward32:30 Why Matty feels infinitely proud—Follow the show, leave a rating, and join the club:All the links: linktr.ee/deaddadsInstagram: @deaddadspodcastTikTok: @dead.dads.podcastWe are not therapists. We may like to think we are, but we are not. We give really good advice though — just not medically or therapeutically. Although if you do feel better after this one, that's okay. But we'll bill you.