Ghandi and Some Sugar

A woman once came to Gandhi and asked him to please tell her son to give up eating sugar. Gandhi asked the woman to bring the boy back in a week.

Exactly one week later the woman returned, and Gandhi said to the boy, “Please give up eating sugar.”

The woman thanked the Mahatma, and, as she turned to go, asked him why he had not said those words a week ago.”

Gandhi replied, “Because a week ago, I had not given up eating sugar.”

This is from Catherine Ingram's book Passionate Presence.