For some reason, when it comes to math the more abstract it gets the more I understand it (I wouldn't have been able to do any significant work in, say, applied math or statistics...among many other subjects! ;-) Glad that I've mainly taught PhD classes in recent years and could work closely with a few good students...seeing someone else being able to succeed always feels good! This student, who's due to defend on February 5, told me he'll dedicate the dissertation to his 95-year-old grandmother who always rooted for him!
Cheers.