First, pick out an appropriate set of clothes. They should be nice and they should be uncontroversial. You do not want to start a fight, or a wider conversation. The affair is catholic and done for strangers. Do not appear queer. Use a name that is no longer yours as part of the costume.
Second, drive for 14 hours straight to the destination at a family member's suggestion and insistence. Never find comfort in the back seat. All angles and means of sitting feel wrong. All of it feels wrong. This is important.
Next, on the day of the event, stand at the front of a catholic church you have never been in next to your immediate family. The deceased is an uncle you barely knew and who was barely religious. You only stand at that position at that time because your dad, the deceased's brother, had to argue with the church. They did not like that the body was immediately creameted by a cremation service and not a church-aligned funeral house. Shake the hand of the priest your dad argued with, and smile. Thank him.
Next, the event begins. You will stand in a line, next to an urn containing the ashes of the deceased. Extended family you have never met and family friends you were never introduced to will come up, giving a slight bow to the urn, a big hug to your dad, an acknowledgement to your mom, and a confused look to you. Introduce yourself with a name you don't use. Explain your relation. Shake their hand. Say thank you for being here. You work at a fake job for teenagers where you put on a fake smile and mask your emotions under a persona. Use that experience to your advantage.
During the event, the girlfriend of the deceased will sob openly. You'll wish she could be up here. The ex-wife of the deceased also shows up, and spends the entire time saying it's bullshit she isn't up there with you. You remember that they divorced when it was found that she had stolen thousands of dollars from his company.
When the recieving line ends, you return to your special spot up front. The priest begins a catholic sermon. It is a week after Easter, and the priest frequently compares your uncle to Christ the Redeemer. He paints an image of the man that is quite alien to your understanding of the man. You remember him as impulsive and self destructive. You recall that he died of a heart attack, likely stimming from the clear and present cardiovascular issues he was refusing to go to the doctor for. You recall him saying he would never use the internet because "that's how they get you". You recall him getting out of DUIs by using your dad's information. You do not hear the priests words. You do not recall them at any point after. Your dad says he appreciated them. You recall your uncle teaching you to snowball fight, since snow falls so rarely where you live, compared to up here. You recall the easter egg hunts he organized. You think the priest's speach is pretty good as well, you suppose.
After that, attend a luncheon. Eighty extended family members talk over each other in a room that's too small. It's too loud. It's all too loud.
Congratulations on successfully standing in the Recieving Line.