Good morning from Augusta, where our hearts are broken.
Chris Cousins, who helped create Daily Brief, died Wednesday. From what we know, his heart gave out while he was helping a friend.
That was Chris.
He lived his life guided by that huge heart and a fierce devotion to the people he loved. And he loved an awful lot of people.
The outpouring of condolences and support has been overwhelming, heartwarming and — for the most part — nonpolitical. That’s quite a tribute to a man who spent the last six years of his life trying to make sense of one of the most contentious and toxic eras at the Maine State House.
People set aside political differences and agendas to remember Chris for what made him so special — an uncanny ability to connect with people on their terms. He went out of his way to talk to people about what mattered to them — even if it had nothing to do with politics or whatever he was covering — and to find positive attributes about others, even when they were going after him professionally.
“That guy just tried to tell me I am an [idiot], but I still kinda like him,” he once said to me.
That was Chris.
He didn’t need people to like him, but pretty much everyone did.
To read the rest of “‘My best friend died yesterday’: A tribute to Chris Cousins,” an article by contributing Bangor Daily News staff writer Robert Long, please follow this link to the BDN online.
