What happens when the person who knew you best is suddenly gone?
In this powerful and unexpectedly funny conversation, comedian, creator, and entrepreneur KevOnStage talks about the loss of his older brother, Jason. Together, they explore why grief doesn't feel like a journey, why the popular "five stages" framework often falls short, and how loss reshapes the way we move through the world.
Kev opens up about the strange realities of sibling loss: becoming older than your older brother, reaching for your phone to text someone who's no longer here, and realizing that the world keeps moving while yours has stopped. Through humor, honesty, and profound reflection, he shares how grief altered his relationships, his trust, his career, and his understanding of love itself.
This Grief Is A Language episode unpacks what it means to learn that language through the body, memory, storytelling, laughter, tears, and community.
KEY POINTS
00:00 – John and Kev share the impact of losing their older brothers
08:26 – The unique grief of losing a sibling and how it reshapes identity
12:14 – Why the 5 stages of grief are a myth
15:14 – Grief isn't linear—it comes in waves
16:40 – Grief is a language, not a journey
19:19 – The loneliness of watching the world move on after loss
30:28 – Why your brain keeps expecting your loved one to be there
36:12 – How grief changes your relationships and sense of safety
50:16 – Why joy and grief can exist at the same time
1:07:25 – The best way to support someone who is grieving
QUOTES
"It felt like I was taken from America, dropped in the middle of Vietnam. I don't know this language at all." – KevOnStage
"The loss is inevitable, and it is painful, but then with that loss, it's like I'm trying to find somebody that can at least be with me in this loss." – John Onwuchekwa
"I wanted the world to stop and acknowledge my personal pain." – KevOnStage
RESOURCES:
KevOnStage
Website | kevonstage.com
IG | @KevOnStage
John Onwuchekwa
Website | johno.co
IG | @jawn_o
Grief Is A Language is produced by EPYC Media Network
