this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship........

Relationships.

Such a beneficial part of life. You can't live without creating relationships with the people around you. To me, there are so many different kinds of relationships that people can have in their life. 

Some are romantic. 

Some are familial. 

Some are friendly. 

Some are business. 

Some are villainous. 

Some have no rhyme or reason......they just are.

But most importantly, in each relationship, something beautiful and/or beneficial comes out of it. And as I spent this past weekend (and many others) amongst several friends old and new, I thought about just how grateful I am to have some form of a relationship with all of them......which then led me to write this top ten list of my favorite relationships!

1) John Lennon & Paul McCartney:  As a seasoned Beatles fan, it should come as no surprise as to why this one is first on my list! I mean, let's face it: some of the greatest songs EVER came from this team alone! Eleanor Rigby? Mind-blowing. In My Life? A classic amongst college graduates. Love Me Do? Only their first big hit! While Ringo Starr and George Harrison also contributed a few precious gems of musical genius (Octopus' Garden/Something), Lennon and McCartney created the Beatles magic with hit after hit! 

2) Willow Rosenberg & Xander Harris: When I first started watched the TV show Buffy The Vampire Slayer, I remember the first glimpse into the friendship of Willow &  Xander.......and all I had kept wanting is to see them together. You watched Willow pine for her best friend, while he pined for Buffy. Sometimes it broke my heart watching Willow get hurt time and time again by Xander (even though I still secretly rooted for them!) Their relationship throughout the show may have changed drastically, even when they gained their own relationships and eventually damaged those relationships with their very own lip-lock moment. But despite the odds, they have always remained close to one another, especially when Willow was grieving Tara's death and planning to end the world......Xander was there to be with her in the end. 

3) Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel: Their music is the soundtrack to my life. Ever since I could remember, I have heard Simon & Garfunkel blast over the radio waves during various car trips, many a night in the local bar, and now on my iPod whenever I've managed to venture to the beach in the calmness of morning. Whether it be singing the chorus to "I Am A Rock" in the car with Matt or sharing the inside joke with my family about "Me & Julio Down By The Schoolyard," their collaborations remind me of those times in my life that I cherish the most. 

4) Finn Hudson & Rachel Berry: This has to be one of the newer relationships on this list, but I'm still very fascinated by it. Two people who obviously want one another, yet always seem to miss the mark when it comes to dating. First it was Finn being with Quinn that got in the way. And when Quinn was gone, Finn kinda screwed it up by breaking Rachel's heart when she thought they were dating. Then came Jesse St. James, along with Finn getting his v-card punched by Santana. And now? We don't even know what the next season of Glee will bring, despite the fact that we saw them finally cuddling up to each other in the season finale. I can't wait to find out how their love story continues!  

5) Sir Elton John & Bernie Taupin: For anyone not aware of this team, let me break it down for you.......without Bernie Taupin, Elton would NOT have had some of his greatest hits! Their collaborations created such classics as Your Song, Tiny Dancer, Rocket Man, I'm Still Standing, and Candle in the Wind (BOTH versions).......just to name a few! Both have worked with other collaborators, yet Elton's sound is mainly due to this team........30 albums worth.

6) Scarlett O'Hara & Rhett Butler: She hates him. He loves her. She's in love with a man she cannot have. He pursues her and gets her to marry him. She warms up to him a little, but not without resistance. Death of their daughter causes him to push her away. Passion ensues, but her rage and longing for the other man destroys them. She realizes while talking to the other man she loves him, but it is too late. He walks out on her. She is heartbroken, but convinces herself that she can win him back.......and she will. The dynamic of Scarlett and Rhett is fueled with such passion and drive that it is hard not to see how much love and compatibility truly exists between these characters. Scarlett originally starts off in love with Ashley, even while he is betrothed to Melanie. I love that even though she doesn't realize it, Rhett gets Scarlett better than she realizes.......and that scares her just a little. 

7) Paula Abdul & Simon Cowell: Ah, for any American Idol fan, this has to be the best pair on that show! I was beyond sad when Paula wasn't coming back for this past season's run of the show, because their dynamic is what made the whole show worthwhile! Sure, you have some great talent from across the country, but that's besides the point. Talent will always be coming and going on that stage, however, the playful banter of Paula & Simon always made me smile! Paula would give some sort of spaced-out comment and Simon would always make some sort of funny quip about it. Their banter is what made the chemistry of the show work the best. Not just the talent, but the way both of them always seemed to ruffle each other's feathers. 

8) Mick Jagger & Keith Richards: Although I'm not that big of a Rolling Stones fan, I would be remiss if I didn't mention this team. Let's just leave it at: they ROCK!

9) Brian Wilson & Tony Asher: While this team was limited to only one album, Pet Sounds, Wilson & Asher took the Beach Boys and their sound to a whole new level on this album. After many hits about surfing and girls graced the Beach Boys repertoire, Brian Wilson wanted to take Pet Sounds in a bit of a different direction. Enter Tony Asher, who tried to be the translator of Brian Wilson's genius, into this particular album. 

10) Clark Kent & Lex Luthor: After watching Smallville, I really came to enjoy the idea of how Superman and Lex Luthor came to hate one another. You find out that at first, they were friends.......and pretty good friends at that. Then came Lex's obsession with learning how he survived a car crash that should've killed him........and his descent into darkness. It's not like he didn't try to avoid the inevitability that he could become his father. Unfortunately, the need to know secrets destroyed any chance of their friendship developing even further, giving way to the enemy status. Just like Lex said on the show, their friendship would be the "stuff of legends"..........and he was right.


~Jenny Rockstar