diff --git a/place.go b/place.go
index 2cffe34..b77a505 100644
--- a/place.go
+++ b/place.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) Position() (int, int) {
 }
 
 func (w *guiWidget) placeBox(startW int, startH int) {
-	if w.node.WidgetType != widget.Box {
+	if w.WidgetType() != widget.Box {
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) placeWidgets(startW int, startH int) (int, int) {
 	tk.startW = startW
 	tk.startH = startH
 
-	switch tk.node.WidgetType {
+	switch tk.WidgetType() {
 	case widget.Window:
 		tk.full.w0 = startW
 		tk.full.h0 = startH
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) placeWidgets(startW int, startH int) (int, int) {
 			// tk.color = nil
 			// tk.defaultColor = nil
 			/*
-				if tk.node.IsEnabled() {
+				if tk.IsEnabled() {
 					tk.setColorButtonDense()
 				} else {
 					tk.setColorDisable()
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) placeWidgets(startW int, startH int) (int, int) {
 }
 
 func (tk *guiWidget) isWindowDense() bool {
-	if tk.node.WidgetType == widget.Window {
+	if tk.WidgetType() == widget.Window {
 		return tk.window.dense
 	}
 	if tk.parent == nil {
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) isWindowDense() bool {
 }
 
 func (tk *guiWidget) isInGrid() bool {
-	if tk.node.WidgetType == widget.Grid {
+	if tk.WidgetType() == widget.Grid {
 		return true
 	}
 	if tk.parent == nil {
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) isInGrid() bool {
 
 func (w *guiWidget) placeGrid(startW int, startH int) (int, int) {
 	// w.showWidgetPlacement("grid0:")
-	if w.node.WidgetType != widget.Grid {
+	if w.WidgetType() != widget.Grid {
 		return 0, 0
 	}
 
@@ -320,8 +320,8 @@ func textSize(n *tree.Node) (int, int) {
 */
 
 func (tk *guiWidget) gocuiSetWH(sizeW, sizeH int) {
-	w := len(tk.node.GetLabel())
-	lines := strings.Split(tk.node.GetLabel(), "\n")
+	w := len(tk.GetLabel())
+	lines := strings.Split(tk.GetLabel(), "\n")
 	h := len(lines)
 
 	if tk.Hidden() {
diff --git a/plugin.go b/plugin.go
index e2d93b7..baf1d87 100644
--- a/plugin.go
+++ b/plugin.go
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) Disable() {
 		return
 	}
 
-	switch tk.node.WidgetType {
+	switch tk.WidgetType() {
 	case widget.Box:
 		showDisable()
 		return
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) Enable() {
 		return
 	}
 
-	switch tk.node.WidgetType {
+	switch tk.WidgetType() {
 	case widget.Box:
 		hideDisable()
 		return
diff --git a/treeDraw.go b/treeDraw.go
index 52fb416..c305112 100644
--- a/treeDraw.go
+++ b/treeDraw.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import (
 // don't draw widgets that are too far down the window
 func (tk *guiWidget) doNotDraw() bool {
 	var check bool
-	switch tk.node.WidgetType {
+	switch tk.WidgetType() {
 	case widget.Button:
 		check = true
 	case widget.Label:
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) pageWidget() *rectType {
 	r := new(rectType)
 
 	var check bool
-	switch tk.node.WidgetType {
+	switch tk.WidgetType() {
 	case widget.Button:
 		check = true
 	case widget.Label:
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) pageWidget() *rectType {
 // deletes the old view if it exists and recreates it
 func (tk *guiWidget) drawView() {
 	var err error
-	log.Log(INFO, "drawView() START", tk.node.WidgetType, tk.String())
+	log.Log(INFO, "drawView() START", tk.WidgetType(), tk.String())
 	if me.baseGui == nil {
 		log.Log(ERROR, "drawView() ERROR: me.baseGui == nil", tk)
 		return
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) drawView() {
 
 	if tk.cuiName == "" {
 		log.Log(ERROR, "drawView() tk.cuiName was not set for widget", tk)
-		tk.cuiName = strconv.Itoa(tk.node.WidgetId) + " TK"
+		tk.cuiName = strconv.Itoa(tk.WidgetId()) + " TK"
 	}
 	log.Log(INFO, "drawView() labelN =", tk.labelN)
 
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) drawView() {
 				}
 			}
 
-			if tk.node.WidgetType == widget.Window || tk.node.WidgetType == widget.Flag {
+			if tk.WidgetType() == widget.Window || tk.WidgetType() == widget.Flag {
 				if tk.window.pager != 0 {
 					if tk.gocuiSize.Height() > 40 {
 						tk.window.large = true
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) drawView() {
 	*/
 
 	// this is all terrible. This sets the title. kinda
-	if tk.node.WidgetType == widget.Window {
+	if tk.WidgetType() == widget.Window {
 		tk.textResize()
 		tk.full.w0 = tk.force.w0
 		tk.full.h0 = tk.force.h0
@@ -175,16 +175,16 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) drawView() {
 	fmt.Fprint(tk.v, tk.labelN)
 
 	// tmp hack to disable buttons on window open
-	if tk.node.WidgetType == widget.Button {
-		if tk.node.IsEnabled() {
+	if tk.WidgetType() == widget.Button {
+		if tk.IsEnabled() {
 		} else {
 			tk.setColorDisable()
 		}
 	}
 
-	switch tk.node.WidgetType {
+	switch tk.WidgetType() {
 	case widget.Button:
-		if tk.node.IsEnabled() {
+		if tk.IsEnabled() {
 			if tk.isWindowDense() && tk.isInGrid() {
 				tk.setColorButtonDense()
 			} else {
diff --git a/treeWidget.go b/treeWidget.go
index 1559f68..28a75ee 100644
--- a/treeWidget.go
+++ b/treeWidget.go
@@ -167,3 +167,7 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) WidgetId() int {
 func (tk *guiWidget) GetLabel() string {
 	return tk.node.GetLabel()
 }
+
+func (tk *guiWidget) IsEnabled() bool {
+	return tk.node.IsEnabled()
+}