Rewatching episodes of Madam Secretary helps me deal with the disarray of current events. The one where she was in Myanmar to sign a peace agreement had a triplet of events overlapping. Elizabeth's neighbors were in revolt over having a prominent government official on their block, because of the protocols that impinged on their routines. Elizabeth's Chief of Staff, Nadine, was struggling to reconnect with her son, whom she was estranged from. Then there was the actual treaty between a smorgasbord of countries. 

It seemed random, that these conflicts would coincide, but I saw the parallels. The Secretary's husband was less than diplomatic when confronted with complaints that he considered trivial. Nadine was defensive about her son's choices to keep his distance. The Myanmar Ambassador went rogue, in an attempt to sabotage the treaty. 

In each scenario, there was a stalemate. Then Elizabeth's husband described the Buddhist philosophy of the Middle Way. Compromise, it turns out, can make the impossible possible. 

When I feel helpless about the fighting across the planet, on land I will never step foot on, I can find circumstances closer to home where I do have impact. Stretching my neck to look over the disagreements that I am a part of, in order to critique those that are out of my purview, is a distraction.  

I can step into that place of concessions where I don't achieve the particulars of what I claim to want, in favor of the things I really do. 

Peace.