Gwyneth Paltrow and her estranged husband Chris Martin became “consciously uncoupled” last March, but their continued friendship is making Paltrow consider reconciliation. In her interview with Harper’s Bazaar U.K. for the magazine’s January 2015 issue, the 42-year-old Mortdecai actress described her relationship with Martin as “pained” and “difficult.”

“We’ve made a lot of mistakes, and we’ve had good days and bad days,” admitted Paltrow. “I have to say, I’m proud of us for working through so much stuff together – and not blaming and shaming.”

Since he became “uncoupled” from Paltrow, the Coldplay frontman confused fans by moving across the street from his wife’s Los Angeles home. The former couple has also been photographed dining out together, and they spent Thanksgiving and Christmas together with their 10-year-old daughter Apple and 8-year-old son Moses. Paltrow knows her family’s situation is unconventional, and admitted to Harper’s Bazaar U.K. that she’s not always sure separating from Martin was the right decision.

“There are times when I think it would have been better if we had stayed married, which is always what your children want,” said Paltrow. “But we have been able to solidify this friendship, so that we’re really close.”

The couple met soon after Paltrow’s father, producer-director Bruce Paltrow, died in 2002. The musician comforted and supported Paltrow during the difficult stage of her life, and she said that his kindness caused her to fall in love and advance the relationship too quickly.

“I feel like I would have died somehow if I hadn’t met him at that time… he was so loving and patient through all my grieving,” Paltrow told the magazine. “He has incredible empathy when it comes to somebody’s pain.”

Paltrow still has nothing but praise for Martin’s sense of compassion, and recalled memories in which her estranged husband spent several nights comforting one friend whose child had a brain tumor removed and another whose son had a bad head injury.

“Every night Chris was at the hospital sitting with the parents. He just has an extraordinary capacity in that way.”