And the writer says if you have more close people than that, you are really fortunate. A threefold cord is not quickly broken. Close friends stick together and support one another in the worst of times. Close friends make all the difference when we go through a major separation in our life. Certainly the most profound separation we can experience is death.
Death is final.
When your friend dies, you will not see them again in this lifetime. When your spouse dies, they are gone, and they become, as the psalmist puts it, like a dream. The church in Thessalonika was dealing with questions of death and separation when Paul wrote his first letter to them. They were wondering what happened to their loved ones. Some of their friends and family had died before Jesus returned.