Un Ange Passe

I recently met a young man who told me how previously he had found it difficult to be around his family where disputes would constantly arise. Now, many years after he initially moved out, he has found a peaceful way to re-enter his home. In the meditative focus of preparing meals alongside his mother they are wrapped in a quiet calm. He told me this French phrase ‘un Ange passe,’ (an angel passes) which, as I understand it, refers to a prolonged silence. In his case it was the effect of a collective enjoyment of a meal that allowed for a pause in the otherwise hectic familial atmosphere.