Jennifer Garner posted adorable childhood photos to celebrate her sisters’ birthdays, expressing how thankful she is to be «the middle Garner girl.»
Jennifer Garner loves being «right in the middle» of her two sisters, and she wouldn’t change it for the world!
On Wednesday, January 29, sandwiched between the birthdays of her sisters Melissa Lynn Garner and Susannah Kay Garner, the actress shared a heartwarming throwback post to celebrate both of them and express her appreciation for her role as the middle sibling.
The 13 Going on 30 star, 52, kicked off her Instagram tribute with a sweet image of the three sisters as teenagers, huddling together on a boat.
She followed it up with more nostalgic snapshots, showcasing their close bond over the years.
«My sisters’ birthdays fall on either side of this week, just as my sisters landed on either side of me,» Jennifer wrote in her caption.
«Smashed in the middle, right between Melissa and Susannah, is where I belong—more than any other spot on the planet.»
She added, «I’m more and more grateful to be the middle Garner Girl, buffered from the world by one big and one little. Happy birthday, Sisters. ♥️.»
Though Jennifer has taken on many roles throughout her career, she’s said that being the «middle Garner girl» is the one that defines her most.
«Being the middle sister of these three girls is the relationship that defines me more than anything else,» she shared with Southern Living.
«More than being my kids’ mother… I’m first and foremost the middle Garner girl,» she added, noting that her kids Violet,Seraphina, and Samuel, whom she shares with ex-husband Ben Affleck, have shaped her life but not her identity in the same way.
In the same interview, their mother, Patricia English Garner, shared her perspective on Jennifer’s role as the middle child, explaining that Jennifer was «the clown» in the family.
«I thought Jen would be a writer because she was always making up these little stories,» Patricia said.
«She inherited that trait from my side. My mom was a good storyteller, and my brother was a pretty good liar. He’d tell me, ‘Oh, Pat, there is no story that can’t be made better!'»
The Garner sisters grew up in West Virginia with their parents, Patricia and William John Garner, who allowed them to be independent and follow their own paths.
Jennifer credits her older sister Melissa with much of her own career success.
“If I’m totally honest, I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for the fact that I have this bigger-than-life, incredible older sister,” Jennifer told *The Independent* in 2009.
“I was just the middle kid, kind of looking for attention,” she added. «So that’s what drove me, I think, to do things she wasn’t doing.”
