| I know what you mean. I find myself giving opinions or advice to my grown children and then suddenly realizing that I sound just like my own mom did. I chuckle at something absentmindedly and realize it sounds like the mindless giggles my mom now makes for no reason at all (she suffers from dementia). However, I don't think it's an unusual phenomena. My husband says he catches himself saying things his dad used to say, without even being aware of what he's doing. My 28 year old daughter says that she sometimes discovers herself sounding just like me. Poor thing! I don't think we can escape being influenced by our parents, but our experiences are different. We'll never be exactly like them. Some parents set a good example of what we should be like. Others set an example of what we don't want to be like. I can sympathize with you about your mom's screeching. My dad had a way of being super self righteous, judgmental, & preachy that would reduce me to a little whimpering child -- even when I was in my 40s, married with children, and a junior high school teacher. Verbal abuse really does take its toll. Don't give up. I'm sure you recognizing what you find distasteful in her personality will help you avoid giving into those traits yourself. | 
