Weekly Writing Prompt [Cast one longing lingering look behind?]

This week's writing prompt is a question prose: Cast one longing lingering look behind? I took the phrase from a book of poetry. It's an excellent question to ponder, and it's one we do ponder without really thinking about it. In every situation humans are notorious for looking back when one says good-bye, we look back and rehash mistakes, regret, and the like, we look back at people or things we miss or think we miss. We cast longing looks behind, but should we? This particular questions makes me think of that quote, "One cannot drive into the future looking in the rear view mirror." With that, should we ask this question: cast one longing lingering look behind?

That is one way to write about this prompt. Another way a student could run with this is by writing a  narrative, which is the route I chose for my example,

Example 1: 
"She sat in the passenger seat, clinging tightly to her husband's hand. She did not want to leave the comfortable life they had led for the last ten years. She loved their home, their friends, their church family, their community and yet, her husband had a goal, a goal he'd been working toward for a decade. A goal she'd been working alongside him in order for this day to happen. The day they'd leave to pursue the unknown. She couldn't help but cast one longing look behind her as a solitary tear rolled down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away not wanting her husband to see it, knowing that this decision was for the best. Best for him and best for her children. Despite knowing it was best, her heart ached and longed for the life they just left behind. With one longing glance, she took a deep breath and set her gaze forward. She set her mind on courage, determination, perseverance, and hard work. She was bound to make this dream come true and cast no more longing looks behind!"

Example 2:
I found myself aching to cast one longing, lingering look behind me. Should I look? Would I linger? Would I long for what could have been? What might have been? This question ebbing back and forth at my soul would not leave my mind as I continued to walk away. If I looked, would it show weakness? Would it show a change of mind? If I didn't look, would I regret it? Would it show my resolve? The debate within stung my eyes and made my head pound. I felt like I needed time to weigh the pros and cons of this simple question until finally a quote I remember him telling me rang loud and clear, "you cannot drive into the future looking into your rearview mirror." That statement was etched in my mind with every step I took forward. I would not look, nor linger in the past. That person is gone and I felt made new! My steps became lighter and more free as the heavy question faded away and my eyes fixed ahead - leaving the ache of the known behind. Instead of lingering around what I left behind, I began to long for the unknown. Hope grew within me. My tears continued to fall, but a smile slowly etched across my face. I would not cast a longing look behind.

I picked one of my wedding pictures to give more ideas. A bride looking back on her wedding day could pose allllllll kinds of problems or interesting ideas...

Picture taken by Beth James at Studio J Images.

Why the multiple pictures?
Hopefully one of the pictures gets brains rolling in a direction to help spur ideas. The first and last picture I took, and the wedding picture is of me on my wedding day, taken by Beth James at Studio J Images (which I have never looked back). I took the first picture because the ice build up on our vehicle was rather remarkable. Since the picture didn't really capture the effect I was seeing, I put it to use here.

The picture with the book is where this particular writing prompt idea originated: My life revolves around books. I read them constantly. I teach struggling readers. I teach the value of life-long literacy. (In my "free time" I even craft with them! Check out my work here: Rebecca's Recycled Readers) I value the written word and hope to pass on this love to others, even if it means saving work from the dumpster or recycling center's shredder (which is where the owner of this quote was doomed). As I was tearing apart pages for my book art, I couldn't help contemplating this question. I hope it gets your brain rolling as it did mine.