There are five questions that we invite you to ponder and reflect upon and the format of these sessions is a 45 minute reflection between Dr Lisa Cherry and Dr Arzhia Habibi followed by 30 minutes of questions and audience reflections. We will open and end with a blessing. Each session starts with a different question for our reflection.

Why are we doing this series?

Western cultures often struggle with conversations about death due to the medicalisation of death, rampant extreme individualism and of course the fear of dying, but learning to engage with dying can deepen meaning, connection, and purpose. Both Lisa and Arzhia came to this subject through cancer bringing a closeness to death; Lisa through being given months to live and Arzhia through accompanying her partner David to the end of his time here.

In many Western societies, death is frequently treated as a clinical failure rather than a natural part of life. Cultural narratives tend to emphasise prolonging life and avoiding death, often at the expense of emotional and spiritual preparation. This can show itself in how we can lack both the language and the cultural rituals to make meaning of what is happening and what will happen to us all ultimately.

Both Lisa and Arzhia have been learning that how we talk about death, with care, curiosity and compassion, we can deepen how we think about life, about love and about our souls.

"Our hope is that these conversations can invite honesty, tenderness and shared meaning, reduce fear and make space for grief reflection and meaning making."

Taking care during these sessions.

This conversation is on death and dying, which is of course a subject that can stir deep emotions, memories and beliefs. Each of us arrives with our own stories: some tender, some painful, some full of mystery or meaning. There is no single way to feel, respond, or make sense of these themes. You are warmly invited to engage at your own pace and in your own way. You may wish to reflect quietly, share aloud, or simply listen. All responses are welcome here. If at any point you need to pause, step away or take care of yourself, please do. This space is held with care, and your wellbeing matters. These talks are not therapy but it is our hope that they are therapeutic.

Your Hosts:

Dr Arzhia Habibi is an educator and interfaith practitioner. She explores questions of belonging, community, justice and love in her writing and pastoral based work as multi-faith chapel director and post-doctoral educational researcher. She arrives at this topic of ‘finding the joy in dying’ having accompanied her beloved David Gee, partner, companion of the heart, on an intensely vibrant, joyous, painful, and love-filled cancer journey throughout 2024. David passed away on the winter solstice, December 21st 2024, in a state of gratitude. Arzhia and another of David’s dear friends were by his side. In small and big ways, grief and love continue to shape her after-life in this world, whilst her faith challenges and calls her to embrace the wild and unfathomable dance of life and death, and the continuation of life and soul through and beyond death. On most days, Arzhia still has hope.

Dr Lisa Cherry is an author, researcher, leading international trainer and consultant, specialising in assisting schools, services and systems to create systemic change to the way that we work with those experiencing and living with, the legacy of trauma. Diagnosed with incurable cancer in November 2023 and being given months to live in July 2025, Lisa is responding to a clinical trial, buying her precious time. She arrives into this conversation living in the liminal space between living and dying.

Lisa is the author of the hugely successful and award winning book 'Conversations that make a difference for Children and Young People' (2021), 'The Brightness of Stars’ 3rd Ed (2022), Weaving a Web of Belonging (2025) and 'Conversations That Make a Difference to Practitioners; Caring for the people who Care', (2025).