Jennifer Garner Opens Up About Getting Older

Jennifer Garner has a fresh perspective on aging. In a new interview with People, the 51-year-old actress opened up about getting older and why she's not scared, but instead, grateful for each passing year.

"Honestly, mostly, I am grateful just to be alive," she told the outlet, but admitted that she has "moments" where she reflects on being young. She continued, "And I'm grateful for the wisdom that I've gleaned out of these years and really grateful to be able to watch other women go through this process of life so gracefully."

Garner, who is a mother to two teenage girls — Violet, 18, and Seraphina, 15 — as well as a 12-year-old son, Samuel, says her advice to young women is to "take care of yourself, but don't be scared. Aging is a gift."

Though, that's not to say the 13 Going on 30 alum completely throwing caution to the wind. "I eat really well. I just finished a big bowl of kale," she said, explaining that she also works out "every day." She added, "It's super important for my mental health." But as much as she maintains a healthy lifestyle, "down days" are to be expected.

"I don't try to be Pollyanna all the time," Garner continued. "I'm gentle with myself."

With her 52nd birthday coming up next month, Garner says she wants to celebrate "outside of" herself. "Every year I do something that I love to include people in that feeds me," she explained. "Last year I went to a park in L.A. and planted trees with my kids. One year we loaded backpacks up to give kids food to take home with them after school."

She continued, "I know what I'm going to do this year, and it's coming together. To me that day is about: How am I going to look outside of myself? How am I giving back to the world that gives me so much?"

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