Hold Every Moment Sacred - Cathy Chavez

It is 1902, and Inocencio Sanchez can’t wait to open the Sanchez Bath House to the public in San Francisco. His dream is to promote healing for the bereaved. Theresa, his wife, runs the flower shop on the property, and their daughters, Candace and Vivien, enjoy the sea water pools.

Twenty years later, Inocencio has died and Candace, staying loyal to her father’s dream, advertises an All-Women’s Swim Group she plans to teach at the small pool at the bathhouse.

Rose, a musician struggling with grief after the loss of her son, finds her way to the swim group while purchasing a bouquet of roses for her son’s grave at the flower shop. “I suppose Jacob would want me to swim here…”

Lily is eight months pregnant and battling depression over losing her mother to a brain tumor. She tries hard to imagine how her mother would respond to her questions about her pregnancy, but only feels a deep silence. During one of her private walks, she comes across a curious flyer about the swim group.

“No, that’s not true! No!” was Sunny’s hysterical response to the horrible news of her 23-year-old son’s suicide. Sunny and her husband, Danny, felt their lives explode into a million pieces. Through the patient efforts of Danny’s sister, Sunny finds her way to the swim group.

Iris, the successful journalist, can no longer rely on her church group to provide her with the support she needs after the loss of her precious daughter, Cora. She has recently divorced and is searching for balance. On her way home one day, she stops at the Sanchez Bath House to inquire about the swim group.

Candace’s gentle approach to the women in the group begins to create the healing atmosphere that her father dreamed of. The women continue to meet for years, and learn to live through their grief and accept the love and support they receive from each other.