---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A soldier's life revolves around his…"
description: "\"A soldier's life revolves around his mail. Like many others, I've been able to follow my kid's progress from the day he was born until now he is able t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b47/bill-mauldin-28650_able_a-soldier-s-life-revolves-around-his-mai_278171.jpg"
---

#  A soldier's life revolves around his mail. Like many…

![“A soldier's life revolves around his mail. Like many others, I've been able to follow my kid's progress from the day he was born until now he is able to walk and talk a little, and although I have never seen him I know him very well.” quote by Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b47/bill-mauldin-28650_able_a-soldier-s-life-revolves-around-his-mai_278171.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b47/bill-mauldin-28650_able_a-soldier-s-life-revolves-around-his-mai_278171.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b47/bill-mauldin-28650_able_a-soldier-s-life-revolves-around-his-mai_278171.jpg)

> “A soldier's life revolves around his mail. Like many others, I've been able to follow my kid's progress from the day he was born until now he is able to walk and talk a little, and although I have never seen him I know him very well.”

[Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A soldier finds purpose and connection through receiving letters, highlighting the emotional importance of communication.

**In simple terms:** Mail keeps soldiers emotionally grounded.

Key Takeaway

Value and maintain communication with loved ones.

Themes

war communication family emotional support

Mood

nostalgic thoughtful

Type

historical inspirational

When to use this quote

- deployment
- long‑distance relationships
- family milestones

Key Concepts

psychology social bonds military life

Questions to Reflect On

- How does staying connected affect morale?
- What modern tools can serve similar emotional roles?

A Different Perspective

Letters may not replace physical presence and can be delayed or lost.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Soldier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soldier/)

## Related quotes

> [I live a soldier's life when I'm working. That's how it feels to me, except I've got a slightly greater chance of survival.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tilda-swinton/i-live-a-soldier-s-life-when-i-m-working-that-s-how-it-feels-to-me/)

[Tilda Swinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tilda-swinton/)

> ['Tis the soldier's life to have their balmy slumbers waked with strife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/tis-the-soldier-s-life-to-have-their-balmy-slumbers-waked-with-strife/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“I've been told that there's a point in every soldier's life when he knows he's going to die. You expect it, of course, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kagawa/i-ve-been-told-that-there-s-a-point-in-every-soldier-s-life-when-he/)

[Julie Kagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kagawa/)

> [Three-quarters of a soldier's life is spent in aimlessly waiting about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-rosenstock-huessy/three-quarters-of-a-soldier-s-life-is-spent-in-aimlessly-waiting-about/)

[Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-rosenstock-huessy/)

> [“And they well understand the need for some to die in order that a great many more can live. It is the very nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-lafevers/and-they-well-understand-the-need-for-some-to-die-in-order-that-a/)

[Robin LaFevers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-lafevers/)

> [Memorial Day orators will say that a G.I.'s life is priceless. Don't believe it. I know what value the U.S. government assigns to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-bacevich/memorial-day-orators-will-say-that-a-g-i-s-life-is-priceless-don-t/)

[Andrew Bacevich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-bacevich/)

> [I am able to follow my own death step by step. Now I move softly towards the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-xxiii/i-am-able-to-follow-my-own-death-step-by-step-now-i-move-softly/)

[Pope John XXIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-xxiii/)

> [In the past, Being able to follow what you're naturally "should" be good at was limited to a very few people in a country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/in-the-past-being-able-to-follow-what-you-re-naturally-should-be-good/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [I'm such a fan of Idina Menzel! I think she's made a wonderful career in this business. I love her so much, and any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lea-michele/i-m-such-a-fan-of-idina-menzel-i-think-she-s-made-a-wonderful-career/)

[Lea Michele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lea-michele/)

> [Sometimes when you follow your dream; it opens the door for others to be able to follow theirs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-patel/sometimes-when-you-follow-your-dream-it-opens-the-door-for-others-to/)

[Neil Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-patel/)

> [My favorite thing is being able to follow my inspiration, and the freedom of being a writer is hard to beat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-white/my-favorite-thing-is-being-able-to-follow-my-inspiration-and-the/)

[Mike White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-white/)

> [Having totality means being capable of following "what is," because "what is" is constantly moving and constantly changing. If one is anchored to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/having-totality-means-being-capable-of-following-what-is-because-what/)

[Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/)

> [I was lucky to be in a household where whatever I wanted to do was supported and my music was always such a natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zella-day/i-was-lucky-to-be-in-a-household-where-whatever-i-wanted-to-do-was/)

[Zella Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zella-day/)

> [I think being able to have follow-through, I think a lot of people who are in charge, that is the one quality that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/i-think-being-able-to-have-follow-through-i-think-a-lot-of-people-who/)

[Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/)

> [“I've never been able to follow through.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/i-ve-never-been-able-to-follow-through/)

[Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/)

## More by Bill Mauldin

> [Patton was living in the Dark Ages. Soldiers were peasants to him. I didn't like that attitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/patton-was-living-in-the-dark-ages-soldiers-were-peasants-to-him-i/)

[Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/)

> [Certainly none of the advances made in civilization has been due to counterrevolutionaries and advocates of the status quo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/certainly-none-of-the-advances-made-in-civilization-has-been-due-to/)

[Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/)

> [I would like to thank the people who encouraged me to draw army cartoons at a time when the gag man's conception of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/i-would-like-to-thank-the-people-who-encouraged-me-to-draw-army/)

[Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/)

> [The surest way to become a pacifist is to join the infantry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/the-surest-way-to-become-a-pacifist-is-to-join-the-infantry/)

[Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/)

> [If you're a leader, you don't push wet spaghetti, you pull it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/if-you-re-a-leader-you-don-t-push-wet-spaghetti-you-pull-it/)

[Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/)

> [“When we ain't fightin' we should act like sojers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/when-we-ain-t-fightin-we-should-act-like-sojers/)

[Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/)

> [I feel like a fugitive from the law of averages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/i-feel-like-a-fugitive-from-the-law-of-averages/)

[Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/)

> [The American public highly overrates its sense of humor. We're great belly laughers and prat fallers, but we never really did have a real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/the-american-public-highly-overrates-its-sense-of-humor-we-re-great/)

[Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/)

> [ “\[Editorial cartooning\] is essentially a destructive art. We are not pontificators, or molders of thought—or at least we shouldn't try to be. Ours is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/editorial-cartooning-is-essentially-a-destructive-art-we-are-not/)

[Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/)

> [If you're a leader, you don't push wet spaghetti, you pull it. The U.S. Army still has to learn that. The British understand it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/if-you-re-a-leader-you-don-t-push-wet-spaghetti-you-pull-it-the-u-s/)

[Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/)

> [Humor is really laughing off a hurt, grinning at misery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/humor-is-really-laughing-off-a-hurt-grinning-at-misery/)

[Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/)

> [My outlook on warfare is best illustrated by a cartoon I did some thirty-odd years ago of a soldier in an Italian foxhole reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/my-outlook-on-warfare-is-best-illustrated-by-a-cartoon-i-did-some/)

[Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/)

> [I drew pictures for and about the soldiers because I knew what their life was like and understood their gripes. I wanted to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/i-drew-pictures-for-and-about-the-soldiers-because-i-knew-what-their/)

[Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/)

> ['Peace' is when nobody's shooting. A 'just peace' is when our side gets what it wants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/peace-is-when-nobody-s-shooting-a-just-peace-is-when-our-side-gets/)

[Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/)

> [ “When you lose a friend \[in battle\] you have an overpowering desire to go back home and yell in everybody's ear, "This guy was… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/when-you-lose-a-friend-in-battle-you-have-an-overpowering-desire-to/)

[Bill Mauldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/)

[Explore all 19 Bill Mauldin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/)

## More Able quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/)

[Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/)

> [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/)

[Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/)

> [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/)

[Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/)

> [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/)

[Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/)

> [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/)

[Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/)

> [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/)

[Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/)

> [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/)

[Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/)

> [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/)

Greg Perry

> [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/)

[Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/)

> [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/)

[Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/)

> [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/)

[Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/)

> [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/)

[Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/)

> [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/)

[Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/)

Browse all 17,257 Able quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "A soldier's life revolves around his mail. Like many others, I've been able to follow my kid's progress from the day he was born until now he is able to walk and talk a little, and although I have never seen him I know him very well.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bill Mauldin"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/a-soldier-s-life-revolves-around-his-mail-like-many-others-i-ve-been/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Able"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/a-soldier-s-life-revolves-around-his-mail-like-many-others-i-ve-been/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b47/bill-mauldin-28650_able_a-soldier-s-life-revolves-around-his-mai_278171.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b47/bill-mauldin-28650_able_a-soldier-s-life-revolves-around-his-mai_278171.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b47/bill-mauldin-28650_able_a-soldier-s-life-revolves-around-his-mai_278171.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“A soldier's life revolves around his mail. Like many others, I've been able to follow my kid's progress from…” — Bill Mauldin",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Bill Mauldin",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mauldin/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "A soldier's life revolves around his...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/a-soldier-s-life-revolves-around-his-mail-like-many-others-i-ve-been/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mauldin/a-soldier-s-life-revolves-around-his-mail-like-many-others-i-ve-been/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
