The Mermaid and the Domino Effect

The Woman Behind the NameCyrena carries a name that translates to "mermaid" in Spanish and "siren" in Greek. However, her recent history was defined by a series of overwhelming "hits"—a "domino effect" triggered by the isolation, death, and depression of the quarantine years. Despite having a daughter with four degrees and a background as an "independent woman," Cyrena watched her 401Ks and savings vanish, eventually finding herself "on paper" as homeless.A central theme of Cyrena’s story is the frustration of not fitting into a specific "box" or demographic. She describes a "crack" she fell into: being "not that type of homeless" that people expect to see, which often led to doors being shut in her face.