The dream conscious uncoupling scenario looks something just like this.
In honor of Chris Martin's 46th birthday on March 2, Gwyneth Paltrow sent her ex-husband—who she shares kids Apple Martin, 18, and Moses Martin, 16, with—a heartfelt message on social media, sharing a snap of the pair together. "Happy birthday to the sweetest father and friend," the Goop founder, 50, captioned the post. "We love you, cajm."
The duo, who tied the knot in 2003 and split in 2014, have been open about making their friendship work for their kids sake as well as their own.
"I think that I'm very lucky in that I have such a willing partner in agreeing with, and teaching me, as much as I taught him," Gwyneth, now wed to Brad Falchuk, told the U.K.'s Red magazine in 2016. "And bringing to me, as much as I brought to him, ideas about how to do it in a really gentle way, so it would be really gentle for Chris and myself."
"It's also almost about having to press the 'override' button whenever you feel angry or jealous or whatever, broken-hearted," she continued. "You have to press the button: I'm going back to the baseline of 'I love this person, he's the father of my children, he's a wonderful man. I'm just going to put my s--t aside for right now.' It really has not been easy for me at times; I'm sure it's not been easy for him."
In the end, Gwyneth and Chris have found their new paradise in their blended family, which includes his longtime girlfriend Dakota Johnson.
"I love her," Paltrow previously told Harper's Bazaar about the actress. "I can see how it would seem weird because it's sort of unconventional. But I think, in this case, just having passed through it iteratively, I just adore her. I always start to think of the ampersand sign—what else can you bring in, instead of being resistant to or being made insecure by? There's so much juice in leaning in to something like that."