It's interesting your WAS describes how grateful she is of you. My H has recently said things like, I never truly appreciated you. He's made a lot of self discoveries but I'm still waiting for him to want the R back.
What I can say is that since he started realizing how much he appreciates me there has been a lot more emotional intimacy. He will tell me about work, conversations with family, things he's thinking about, etc. We talk like a couple (but then not...)
I hate this "land of confusion" as someone put it!
M 42 H 39 T10 (-2yrs separation) S8 D5 DD 7/30/11 (EA&PA) Reconciled 6/2013 Separation in works 1/2017