Sad to say "Good bye"

The R-man is going to be leaving our humble abode.
He got home on Monday night and later in to the evening, told me that he has bought a house. I knew it was coming - he has been looking for quite a while now - but now that is has happened, I'm a little sad to see him go.

No, it's not like he spent a huge amount of time WITH me, but it was nice to have him with us again - more an adult than the summer he lived with us for his summer job. Now we actually get to have real conversations, share dialogue, that sort of thing.
It's strange how our families have always been inter-connected. The R-man's grandmother and my mother are sisters, with something like 15 years (and World War 2) between them. When Cuz's husband (R-man's dad) was born, my mother used to babysit him, and they became very close.
When I was born, G (R-man's dad deserves a name...) used to spend a lot of time at our house, and I think even lived with us for a time for summer employment. He used to spoil me rotten, apparently. One time road me in to town on his bike and told me I could have whatever stuffed animal I wanted. I picked the biggest dog there was - as big as me - and then he had to ride me and the stuffed animal back home. I was about 3, and he was about 16 at the time.
Then G and Cuz met. Cuz tells me that I was not exactly a shrinking violet when she first met me - I climbed right up on her lap and just started talking away to her. As I grew up, we started camping at the same place, and I remember going over to visit with Cuz and her friends - just to chat and feel 'grown up,' I guess. (She was the only "adult" that always talked to me like a young adult rather than a kid.)
The R-man's younger brother was my ring-bearer when I was married, and the R-man was the only child I would allow at the actual wedding service. I was adament about "no kids" at the wedding, but when Cuz told me R-man just wanted to see me get married, I couldn't refuse him. The R-man and my brother were also quite close growing up, and they used to spend a lot time together fishing, and probably talking about girls. My brother even explained S-E-X to the R-man.

Now, Cuz and I are very close. She is one of my closest and dearest friends - and although I call her "Cuz", technically her husband is my relative - she was just lucky enough to marry in to this great family!
One time - during a family Christmas gathering - S asked Cuz why she and G were coming to the family gathering. I told him, "Because G is my cousin."
S replied, "Ohhhh... I thought he was just your friend's husband. I didn't know he was related to us!!"
Cuz and G - and now their sons - have always just been so tightly inter-woven in to our family mix. It has been quite a privilage to get to know the R-man and his "lady love" over the past few months. It will feel strange to have him leave us in a few short months.
But, if things continue as they seem to do with our family and his, I am sure that I will get to know his lady love even better, and we will likely start another round with the next generation!