A dear friend of mine believes the human body is amazing. It knows when to send signals it is sick and often heals itself. A woman’s reproductive system knows when to start up and how to shut itself down. It’s a miracle.

To which I say, “Tosh,” or something to that effect. If the body were so miraculous, it would never get sick to begin with. Life is filled with illnesses that come unbidden. When the reproductive years end at forty, the body begins its steady decline. We are programmed to fail from the day we are born.

What I find amazing is how the mind governs the body during its tenure on earth. The feats of physical endurance and Olympic accomplishment are incredible. The inventions, the literature, the artistic and technological wonders created by the human brain are astounding.

Just the other night a documentary about the Berlin Airlift aired on one of our public broadcasting stations. The airlift, begun in early summer 1948, lasted nearly eleven months. During that time, Allied planes flew more than two million tons of food and fuel to Berliners whose Soviet occupiers blocked delivery of supplies to the city. Think of the creative minds that conceived of doing such a thing.

At the moment, there are two exhibits in San Francisco museums that are testaments to some of the greatest wonders of the world. The King Tut exhibit speaks to the great minds who architected ancient Egypt. The Cartier exhibit shines a spotlight on some of the most beautiful pieces of jewelry ever conceived by artistic minds.

Last Christmas, my husband and I went into an Apple Computer store to look at iPhones. The iPhone and its ilk are the latest technological wonders of our time. Think of the brains behind the brilliance of these little devices.

Yes, I think the mind trumps the body on most occasions. Of course, the best of all worlds is achieved when the two are able to work in concert. May you have an especially brilliant day today.