"Brrrring!" rang the timer as I raced to finish adding and subtracting. My father scolded me for not finishing and exclaimed that I had more work. As a mandate, my dad forced me and my siblings to do an hour of daily math practice. He did it out of love, as he wanted us to succeed; he made us practice, as he believed it displayed care and concern. We spent countless hours multiplying and dividing numbers to increase efficiency. He "motivated" us through criticism. Eventually, I equated my grades with his love for me; I forced myself to excel in mathematics for his conditional love. Math was originally difficult for me. The timer became my daily terror. My father displayed disappointment whenever I didn’t reach his impossible standards. I associated math with fear, so I "hated" it despite developing great skills. These practices helped me get into a sixth grade accelerated course; they helped me succeed in algebra, geometry, pre-calculus, and even calculus. Over time, I viewed math differently, and I began to love it as I grew up. Math contains the art of simplification. Even in complicated problems, we find solutions or rationalize why there isn’t one. I could optimize different scenarios, differentiate, and integrate challenging functions, yet I never fixed my paternal issues. After years of frustration, I applied my skills to myself and my father to find a solution rather than fueling our estranged relationship. I learned that because we cannot change the value of x, we cannot change people who don’t want to. As long as x=x, my dad will always be my dad. I realized I needed to love and accept him regardless of past pain. I disassociated mathematics from the relationship between us. Math wasn’t the cause of my strained relationship with my father; it was his hurtful words. Furthermore, I realized math evolved to soothe me while working through bigger equations. It taught me the beautiful yet painful lesson of letting go. I switched mannerisms and showed him compassion. If I couldn’t change a constant—my dad—then I had to transform in order to improve our relationship. While he’s not perfect, our relationship improved because of this. Although self-transformation is harder than manipulating a function, math showed me there is always an answer, even if it is shrouded in darkness. I love and thank mathematics for being the light that shines through darkness.