Lance and Linda Gibson of St. Louis, Missouri, were hurt when their 14-year-old daughter, Carly, told them that she didn't think they or their generation had done a very good job of caring for the planet.
"Look, we're no fans of global warming, either," said Carly's offended father. "It was over a hundred degrees here for the better part of July, and then we had another heatwave in September. It was miserable!"
Carly's mother, too, found their daughter's accusations unfair, as she has always accorded the environment great respect - long before being "green" was even fashionable.
"I've never littered, not once," said Linda Gibson. "Well, apart from one time when I threw an apple core out a car window. But that's biodegradable. See? I know the lingo."
The timing of their daughter's inconsiderate remarks made them that much more hurtful, said Lance and Linda, given how tolerant they have been of Carly's various phases, including her most recent obsession with veganism.
"She says she doesn't want to eat animal products because they're cutting down the Amazon rainforests to raise crops for cattle," said Linda Gibson. "I tried to tell her they don't do that for grass-fed, but she didn't want to hear it." Carly's mother gave a rueful shrug. "She's very closed-minded. That's teenagers for you, I guess."
Despite their daughter's lack of appreciation for how her comments about climate change might have hurt their feelings, Lance and Linda Gibson remain steadfast in their shared parental aim of providing their only daughter unwavering, unconditional love.
"I pray for her every day," said Linda Gibson. "Every single day. That will never change, no matter what she does."