Dear Abby: I still want to date my co-worker after breaking things off with her

DEAR ABBY: I am a man in my 40s.A woman and I had a relationship that ended badly.

We met on the job, though we work in different departments.Everyone knows about our previous relationship, and it is extremely awkward.

Every time I walk by, there are lots of smiles and chattering; when I approach my co-workers’ desks, I’m greeted with silence and intense stares.I still have strong feelings for her, and I know they are reciprocated because she has verbalized it and shown it with her actions and behaviors.After she ended things, I was upset and gave her the silent treatment.

I know she feels hurt by my pretending like she doesn’t exist.I am a stubborn man, but I really miss her.

After the breakup, she mentioned being friends.I cannot be friends with her.

Despite the amount of time that has gone by, I still want to fix things.However, I know my real intentions and illusions about getting back together are misguided fantasy.

I would appreciate your insights.— AWKWARD AT WORKDEAR AWKWARD: Do you understand that it’s you, not your co-workers, making things awkward? By resorting to the silent treatment, you’ve made everyone uncomfortable.

You say you want to fix things, but you’ve made no attempt to do so.You don’t believe you can reconcile with your ex, but on what grounds? You won’t even talk to her!I don’t think you’re “stubborn”; I think you’re afraid.

You’ve kept up this unseemly behavior because you don’t want to be hurt again.If you can’t muster the courage to tell this woman you want another chance, you have two options left: Either speak with her purely as a colleague and bury the hatchet so you can at least be cordial in the workplace, or start looking for another job.** ** **DEAR ABBY: My father’s girlfriend, “Jane,” has started soliciting money for her causes from everyone she knows, especially our family members.

After the first request, I donated a modest amount to support her, not knowing the deluge of request...