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Jurate Kazickas welcomed the guests with a special presentation that included recordings of dr. Joseph Kazickas reading an excerpt from his biography "Odyssey of Hope", President Valdas Adamkus remembering their friendship and a fragment from Pasvalys High School drama club play based on the life of Alexandra and Joseph Kazickas. KFF Vilnius office director Agne Vertelkaiteintroduced exhibit's travel story through Lithuania.

Jurate Kazickas shared:

It was in 2017, after both our parents were deceased, that we discovered a cache of more than 100 letters that our father Joseph Peter Kazickas (1918-2014) wrote to our mother, Alexandra Kalvenas Kazickas (1920-2011), carefully stored in boxes in our family home. These treasures, personal and intimate, were written in impeccable Lithuanian from 1944 until 2009 when they already lived outside Lithuania.

Most were written when Joseph was travelling around the world for business. He wanted to make sure that his wife and five children felt his presence and knew how much he loved them and missed them. Through handwritten letters our father communicated his commitment and devotion to his wife, children, relatives and Lithuanian friends; preserved his values, stories, insights and musings; shared wonderful discoveries of the world and his philosophy of life; linked his children and grandchildren to their heritage and inspired them; expressed his gratitude to God, to his parents, and especially to his wife of 70 years in the most sincere and poetic language, full of detail and color.

While honoring our parents love and commitment to each other, our family, and Lithuania, we hope to inspire you to celebrate life, always give thanks, and write to your loved ones.

Dr. Joseph and Alexandra Kazickas' children with their spouses, as well as grandchildren attended the opening sharing stories and celebrating their parent's love and commitment to each other, their family and Lithuania.